Life changes for Divya Deshmukh, the poster girl of Indian chess

Life has changed for Divya Deshmukh over the past week. If it was a grand welcome in her hometown Nagpur on her arrival from Georgia after the FIDE World Cup one day, it was time for a felicitation by Mansukh Mandaviya, Union minister for youth affairs & sports and labour & employment, in the capital on Saturday.

No doubt, the 19-year-old petite chess player has been the flavour of Indian sport ever since she knocked out the seasoned Koneru Humpy in a tie-breaker for the world title in Batumi earlier this week. It’s a great time to be an Indian chess fan as the young brigade are almost living a ‘impossible is nothing’ dream — be it an Olympics double, a men’s world champion in D. Gukesh and now, Divya — who also became only the fourth Indian woman Grandmaster and qualified for the Candidates’ event.

The felicitation by the ministry also featured Humpy online and Divya said: “I am very happy that the title has come to India. Koneru played very well but I was lucky that I won. For me, the biggest joy was in knowing that no matter who won, the title would come to India.

“Today I feel so happy to be felicitated by Hon’ble Minister because this motivates athletes and gives youngsters the message that they have the support of the country. I also want to thank Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Sports Ministry for the constant support to chess”, she added.

While allround praise flowed about how Divya often threw caution to the winds during her campaign, former world champion Susan Polgar — a staunch backer of Indian chess — broke it down as to what clinched it in Divya's favour. ‘’Even though she may not have been the pre-tournament favourite or the strongest on paper, she had what others lacked — the will to win and mental toughness,’’ the Hungarian-American observed.

A women’s world champion herself from 1996-99, Polgar said: ‘’There were games when she was in trouble and somewhere she couldn’t convert. But none of it mattered. She kept fighting without fear. Her strong nerves carried her through the finishing line.’’

Not surprisingly though, the buzz is whether Divya’s triumph on the 64 squares is also a brand moment in the making. After all, India Inc. haven’t let an opportunity go to cash in on the marketing potential of women superachievers in the new millennium, from a Sania Mirza to a Saina Nehwal to P.V. Sindhu to double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker.

With Indian chess stars dominating the global stage, sponsorship money has started to trickle in. Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, very much in the running to take on Gukesh for the next World Championship, has a $1.5 million sponsorship deal with Singapore-based quantitative trading firm Quantbox. Meanwhile, Pravaha Foundation will be supporting six women chess players over two years with a Rs 2 crore funding corpus.

Speaking to Money Control, Rohit Agarwal, founder and CEO of AlphaZegus, a marketing agency specialising in gaming and lifestyle, said: ‘’Post her World Cup win, Divya can easily command Rs 25-40 lakh per annual endorsement deal, depending on category and usage rights. While she may not yet operate in the Rs 1 crore-fee bracket like top cricketers or Olympic medallists, her media buzz, youth appeal and category exclusivity make her an undervalued gem in the endorsement world right now. If she maintains this form, her valuation could double ahead of the next Asian Games or global championships.’’

While Divya may fit the bill perfectly, a leading brand manager feels that it’s up to her as to how much exposure she wants on the endorsement front. Tuhin Mishra, managing director and co-founder of Baseline Ventures — a leading player in this business with a cluster of young athletes on their rolls — told National Herald: ‘’While Divya has major potential for particular brands like edu-tech, chess players often are private persons who are not keen to allocate the time sponsors may need. Hence, it’s up to her and the agency handling her to strike a balance.’’

Looking ahead, what’s next on the agenda for the young champion? ‘’I will take some rest this month and will play Grand Swiss next,’’ Divya said at a choc-a-bloc press conference. The Grand Swiss will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 2-16 September.