Grand Swiss: Divya Deshmukh holds D Gukesh to draw after 103 moves in 6-hour battle

World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju was held to a draw by Divya Deshmukh after a six-hour, 103-move marathon in round eight of the FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand. It was an enthralling battle between the reigning world champion and the Women’s World Cup winner that gripped chess fans across the globe on Friday, 12 September.

The result was remarkable given the gulf of 289 rating points between the two Indians, with Gukesh rated 2767 and Divya 2478. The game culminated in a rook-and-knight versus rook endgame — a rare and highly technical scenario in which the player with the extra knight enjoys the material advantage, yet the defending side can hold the draw with flawless play.

On this occasion, Gukesh pressed with the superior rook-and-knight, but Divya defended with precision, navigating one of the most studied theoretical endgames in chess. Such positions are notoriously tricky: one inaccurate move by the defender can quickly tip the balance. That Divya held her ground for over 100 moves under relentless pressure showcased her defensive technique and mental resilience.

Gukesh and Divya could have agreed to a draw earlier, but the world champion kept pressing, hoping for an error that never came. In the end, it was Gukesh who offered the draw, and Divya accepted without hesitation.

DIVYA OVERTAKES GUKESH

For Divya, who came into the match on the back of victories against two male Grandmasters, it was another step in the right direction as she climbed the Grand Swiss ladder after choosing to compete in the Open section. With momentum from her World Cup triumph behind her, Divya opted for the Open category in pursuit of a strong run that could eventually lead to a place in the Candidates and, potentially, a shot at the World Championship match next year.

Gukesh, meanwhile, has endured a difficult time at the Grand Swiss. The reigning world champion has suffered defeats to prodigies Abhimanyu Mishra, Ediz Gurel and Nikolas Theodorou, alongside draws with Arjun Erigaisi and 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus.

Against Divya, however, the story was her resistance — and the near-historic opportunity she had. A victory would have made her the first woman ever to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess.

With the draw, Divya moved ahead of Gukesh in the Grand Swiss standings with four points after eight rounds, half a point more than her compatriot.