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Gukesh D and Divya Deshmukh drew in a lengthy endgame, while Nihal Sarin secured a quick draw, sharing the lead in the FIDE Grand Swiss. R Vaishali lost her lead in the women's section after a defeat, and Vidit Gujrathi was also defeated. Kateryna Lagno now leads the women's section with 6.5 points, holding a half-point advantage.

Indian Grand Master Divya Deshmukh is participating in the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament in Samarkand. Despite an opening round defeat by her mentor Abhimanyu Puranik, the 19-year-old rebounded with a draw against Alexander Donchenko. Divya emphasizes learning over winning, stating that losses against strong players provide valuable lessons.

India’s top-ranked Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa remains one of the favourites to secure his 2026 Candidates berth, while Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, Nihal Sarin and Pranav V add firepower to India’s record 15-player open section squad.

India’s Divya Deshmukh sparked laughs with her “No jeans!” rule-change joke, recalling Magnus Carlsen’s 2024 dress code controversy. Carlsen famously refused to change his Corneliani jeans, was fined, and later auctioned them for $36,100. Proceeds went to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, turning a quirky chess moment into a powerful charitable milestone.

A grandmaster chess tournament in New Delhi highlights the traditional, silent atmosphere of the game, contrasting sharply with a recent event in Las Vegas where live audiences roared at every move. Players express concerns about distractions caused by spectators, questioning whether chess is truly ready for a live audience setting.