The all-Indian final now moves to faster formats, with both players set to battle it out in shorter time controls to determine the champion. After missing out on opportunities in the first classical game, Divya was far more assured in the second encounter, where she handled the black pieces with maturity against Humpy’s Queen's Pawn opening
Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh (Pic: AFP/ChessBase India)
International Master Divya Deshmukh displayed composure and tactical awareness to hold Grandmaster Koneru Humpy to a well-earned draw on Sunday, forcing the final into a rapid tie-break showdown. The highly anticipated all-Indian final now moves to faster formats, with both players set to battle it out in shorter time controls to determine the champion.
After missing out on opportunities in the first classical game, Divya was far more assured in the second encounter, where she handled the black pieces with maturity against Humpy’s Queen's Pawn opening. Despite Humpy enjoying the early advantage of the bishop pair out of the opening, Divya responded by maneuvering her knights to ideal squares, effectively neutralising White’s attacking prospects.
As the game transitioned into a balanced middlegame, both players exchanged minor pieces followed by a trade of rooks, leading to a queen-and-minor-piece endgame. Humpy attempted to shake the equilibrium by sacrificing a pawn, hoping to create imbalances. However, the tactic backfired as her once-powerful bishop pair disappeared, leaving her with only a slight edge.
Divya, though momentarily a pawn ahead, had to manage a few positional weaknesses and opted for pragmatic play. Humpy eventually recovered the material and with no winning chances for either side, the game concluded in a 34-move draw by threefold repetition.
The result brings the final to a tiebreak stage, where the players will engage in a series of faster-paced games. The format begins with two rapid games, each 15 minutes long with a 10-second increment per move. If the scores remain tied, another set of 10-minute games with the same increment will follow. Should the deadlock persist, the players will then contest two blitz games of five minutes plus a three-second increment.
If the match is still unresolved, the decider will be a single Armageddon-style game, both players get three minutes on the clock, with a two-second increment starting from move one. The first to win this nail-biting finale will take the title.
Elsewhere, in the third-place playoff, China’s Zhongyi Tan and Lei Tingjie appeared to be heading towards a draw after a balanced game. Both players maintained solid positions, with no decisive breakthrough emerging deep into the endgame.
Results:
Koneru Humpy (IND) drew with Divya Deshmukh (IND);
Lei Tingjie (CHN) vs Tan Zhongyi (CHN) — game in progress.
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