Deshmukh vs Lagno: 135-Move Marathon in Women's Candidates

A Marathon Battle in the Women's Candidates

The longest game of the 2026 FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament so far unfolded in Round 7 between GM Divya Deshmukh (2497) and GM Kateryna Lagno (2508). Their 135-move marathon ended in a draw, but not without drama along the way.

Playing the English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Wimpy System (A13), Deshmukh opened with 1.c4 e6, leading to the kind of positional struggle that can extend deep into the endgame. Both players are seasoned competitors at this level — Deshmukh, the young Indian World Cup winner, facing off against Ukraine's Lagno, a three-time women's world blitz champion.

The Critical Phase

According to tournament reports, Deshmukh obtained a promising position in the early middlegame, managing to win a pawn and create realistic winning chances. The position developed into exactly the kind of technical grind where small advantages can be converted with precise play.

Lagno, however, showed the defensive skills that have made her a top-10 player for years. She gradually simplified the position, steering the game toward a rook endgame with three pawns against two — the kind of ending where the extra pawn matters, but accurate defense can hold.

The Endgame Marathon

What followed was a masterclass in endgame persistence. Despite the position being objectively drawn after the simplification, Deshmukh continued to press for the full point. In tournaments like the Candidates, where every half-point matters for qualification, players will squeeze every drop from their positions.

The tension reached a peak on move 117 when Lagno incorrectly claimed a draw by triple repetition. The arbiter ruled the game should continue, and the players battled on for another 18 moves before finally agreeing to the draw.

Tournament Context

This draw kept both players in the thick of the tournament race. With all eight women's candidates tightly bunched in the standings, games like this — where winning chances come and go — can define who ultimately challenges for the world championship.

The game exemplifies the kind of fighting chess that makes the Candidates Tournament special. Even in objectively drawn positions, the world's best players find ways to create problems and test their opponents' technique. At ChessFlow, we've turned this epic 135-move battle into a piece you can hang on your wall — because some games are too good to just disappear into the database.