GATE DA 2026 Q31: Worst-case comparisons in binary search of 1000 elements

Let $\mathbf{A}$ be a sorted array containing 1000 distinct integers. You perform a recursive binary search on $\mathbf{A}$ to find an element $\mathbf{y}$. Suppose each comparison checks whether the middle element computed during the current recursive step is equal to, less than, or greater than $\mathbf{y}$.

The maximum number of comparisons that may have to be performed if $\mathbf{y}$ is not an element of $\mathbf{A}$ is _______. (Answer in integer)