Kerala’s 11-year-old girl Divi wins FIDE World Cup Under-12 title
Thiruvananthapuram: Eleven-year-old Chess prodigy Divi Bijesh of Kerala scripted another chapter in Indian chess history by clinching the FIDE World Cup Under-12 Girls Championship in Batumi, Georgia, becoming the first player from the state to win FIDE World Cup titles in both the Under-10 and Under-12 categories.
Representing India at the prestigious championship, Divi produced a commanding performance against a field of more than 85 of the world’s leading young players, finishing with nine points from 11 rounds.
She seized sole lead after the seventh round and never relinquished it, before drawing her final-round game against Russia’s Alisa Yunker to seal the world title.
The triumph marks Divi’s third world title in just two years, further underlining her emergence as one of the brightest young talents in world chess.
She had created history in 2025 by becoming the inaugural FIDE World Cup Under-10 Girls champion and also won the World Under-10 Rapid Championship the same year.
Her latest success also secures qualification for the FIDE World Cadet Championship to be held later this year, where she will once again represent India on the global stage.
Still only 11-years-old, Divi has now amassed 25 medals, including 13 international gold medals, in an extraordinary career that has rapidly placed her among India’s most accomplished young chess players.
A Class 6 student of Alan Feldman Public School in Thiruvananthapuram, Divi is the daughter of Bijesh and Prabha and the younger sister of Devnath Bijesh.
Her rise has been nurtured through the Chola Chess talent development programme, with guidance from Woman Grandmaster Aarthi Ramaswamy and Woman FIDE Master Harshini.
Her long-time coach and mentor, Sreejith G.S. of Masters Chess Academy in Thiruvananthapuram, has played a pivotal role in shaping her career.
Already the youngest Woman Candidate Master (WCM) from Kerala and recipient of the Kerala Ujjwala Balyam Award, Divi’s latest triumph adds another glittering milestone to Indian chess and reinforces Kerala’s growing reputation as a nursery for world-class talent.