Indian women in chess: From Miss Fatima’s 1933 win in Britain to Divya Deshmukh’s World Cup title

Indian Women in Chess

Early pioneers:
- Miss Fatima – first Indian woman to win the British Women’s Championship (1933), highlighting early international recognition.
- Sultan Khan – contemporary male counterpart, showing parallel development of chess in colonial India.
Traditional roots:
- Games like Thaayam in South India indicate women’s engagement with proto-chess activities in rice fields.
- Shows cultural and historical continuity leading to modern chess.

Divya Deshmukh:
- FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 winner, became 4th Indian woman Grandmaster.
- Qualified for Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026.
Other notable Indian women in chess:
- Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Vantika Agrawal.
Chennai and Tamil Nadu are chess hubs – first international masters (Manuel Aaron) and grandmasters (Viswanathan Anand) hail from there.

Limited participation of women in chess despite overall Indian talent.
Barriers identified:
- Financial constraints – coaching, travel, tournament participation costs.
- Lack of access to strong competition within India.
- Social perceptions and gender bias.
Separate women’s tournaments may incentivize participation but can also limit exposure to higher-level open competitions.

Need for structured support for women:
- Affordable coaching and academies.
- National and international competition exposure.
- Inclusion of women in mainstream tournaments to bridge the experience gap.
Potential lessons from China and Russia: early training, institutional support, and systematic talent nurturing.

Symbolic: Divya Deshmukh’s victory inspires young girls in India, creating role models.
Strategic: Demonstrates India’s growing strength in both men’s and women’s chess.
Policy relevance: Highlights the importance of gender-sensitive sports development programs and financial/structural support for women in intellectual sports.

Updated - August 7, 2025 01:20 PM | News On Air