Devayani

Who Devayani is

Devayani, daughter of the asura teacher Shukracharya, loved Kacha, her father's pupil, who refused to marry her; she cursed him that his learning would not serve him. After a quarrel in which the princess Sharmishtha pushed her into a well, King Yayati drew her out by the hand, and she later married him, insisting that Sharmishtha serve her as a maid. When she learned that Yayati had secretly fathered sons by Sharmishtha, she went to her father, who cursed Yayati with old age.

“I am the daughter of the great teacher. I expect the best squares.”

How Devayani plays chess

Proud and demanding: insists on the best squares and resents any challenge to them.

The Classicist: Sound, balanced chess: develops, castles and takes what the position offers.

Opening repertoire: Queen's Gambit, Exchange (Carlsbad) · Ruy Lopez, Berlin (Main) · Sicilian, Kalashnikov

Defeat Devayani in a full game from the normal starting position to earn the achievement Pride Challenged and open the way to the next guardian.

Sources

• Mahabharata, Adi Parva

Placement on the path reflects chess difficulty only — a game-design choice, not a ranking of anyone's spiritual standing.