A total of 87 players, including two grandmasters, six International Masters from Afghanistan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh, are participating in open section
Bangladesh Grandmasters Ziaur Rahman and Enamul Hossain Razib were off to a winning start, as the inaugural edition of the SAARC Chess Championships 2019 got underway at the Fars Hotel & Resorts in Dhaka Monday. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a union of states that includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
A total of 87 players, including two grandmasters, six International Masters from Afghanistan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh, are participating in open section, while 22 players including two women’s International Masters are participating in women’s section.
Zia beat FIDE Master Saif Uddin Lavlu while Razib defeated Krishna Thapa of Nepal. Bangladesh IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman beat Mukitul Islam Ripon, FM Mohammed Abdul Malek beat Khandokar Nazre Mowla, and FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman beat Mezanur Rahman in the other opening round matches.
Benzair Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Chess Federation and Director General of RAB, inaugurated the event as chief guest while Berik Balgabaev, adviser of FIDE (World Chess Federation) president was present as special guest.
The tournament is sponsored by Russian state corporation Rosatom and co-sponsored by Saif Powertec Limited, Rupayan Group and Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited.