World Junior Chess: Unbeaten Divya and Nogerbek crowned the champions

Divya Deshmukh wins World junior girls’ chess championship, finishing unbeaten with 10 points out of 11 games.

Divya Deshmukh added another significant title to her already impressive collection on June 13. The 18-year-old from Nagpur won the World junior girls’ chess championship after beating Bulgaria’s Beloslava Krasteva in the final round at the Gift City Club.

Top-seeded Divya finished with 10 points, out of a possible 11, as she remained unbeaten, winning nine games and drawing two.

The Open title was claimed by Kazakhstan’s Kazybek Nogerbek, whose win in the last round against the sole overnight leader Mamikon Gharibyan of Armenia took him to 8.5 points.

Armenia’s Emin Ohanyan had already scored 8.5 points, thanks to his victory against Daniel Quizon of the Philippines. A better tie-break score gave the title to Nogerbek, seeded ninth.

Luka Budisavljevic of Serbia finished third. Pranav Anand, who began as the third seed, was the best-placed Indian at 10th.

In the girls’ section, Mariam Mkrtchyan took the runner-up spot after finishing half-a-point behind Divya. Azerbaijan’s Ayan Allahverdiyeva was third.

Open: Kazybek Nogerbek (Kaz) 8.5 bt Mamikon Gharibyan (Arm) 8; Emin Ohanyan (Arm) 8.5 bt Daniel Quizon (Phi) 7.5; Luka Budisavljevic (Srb) 8 drew with Jose Gabriel Cardoso (Col) 8; Anuj Shrivatri 7 drew with Rudik Makarian (FIDE) 7.5; Shawn Rodrigue-Lemmieux (Can) 7.5 drew with Aditya Samant 7.5; Tobias Koelle (Ger) 8 bt Baris Ozenir (Tur) 7; Aleksandr Domalchukk-Jonasson (Isl) 6.5 lost to Aleksey Grebnev (FIDE) 7.5; Pranav Anand 7.5 bt Arsen Davtyan (Arm) 6.5; L. Srihari .5 lost to Santiago Avila (Col) 7.5; L.R. Shrihari 7 drew with Pham Tran Gia Phuc (Vie) 7.