Ziaur Rahman, Liza Akter win Asian Zonal

Ziaur Rahman and Liza Shamima Akter win Asian Zonal 3.2

Report from Nepal by Niklesh Jain

The  Asian Zonal (Zone-3.2) Chess Championship Open and Women were held from 27th March to 01 April 2015 in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. 33 players from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal participated in open group, and 15 players in women group. GM Ziaur Rahman from Bangladesh won the Open Section and WIM Liza Shamima Akter from Bangladesh won the Women section with  the same score, 7.5/9. The total prize fund was US $6,000, with $1,500 for the winner of the Open section and $1000 for the winner of the Women's. In addition the Men's Champion qualifies for the World Cup Championship and the Women' Champion for the Women World Cup.

GM Ziaur Rahman and WIM Liza Shamima Akter from Bangladesh are the
Asian Champions in Open and Women's category respectively

The venue was Ratnagiri Resort, Nagarkot, 5200 feet above sea level. Ratnagiri Resort is situated at 21.2 km drive from the airport and 9.2 km form Bhaktapur city.

Ratnagiri boasts of one of Nagarkot’s best resort, and is famous for its location above the clouds and its panoramic view of the entire Kathmandu valley.

Country flags including FIDE and Asian Chess federation at the venue

A sunset view of Himalaya from the venue

Hisham Al Taher, General Secretary of Aisan Chess Federation making the inaugural move
in the game Pakistani IM Mahmood Lodhi and Bangaldeshi WIM Rani Hamid

Niaz Murshed, the first GM in South Asia, scored 5.5/9 and finish sixth

Local Nepalese boy Bhupendra Niraula scored 5.0/9, increasing his rating by 72 points

Sri Lankan WIM Sachini Ranasinghe finish fifth and scored 5.0/9 

Officials present at closing ceremony

Rare picture: during his visit FIDE President Kirsan Illyumzhinov with Rajesh Hari Joshi, President  of the Nepal Chess Association, enjoying a bike ride as promotion for a chess tournament in Patan, Nepal

GM Ziaur Rahman receiving his prize from FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

WIM Liza Shamima Akter receving hers from Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

Winners with guests: FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Sports Minister Purushottam Poudel
and Nepal Chess Presdient Rajesh Hari Joshi

Traditional welcome of FIDE President by Minister Panchkanya at the airport

Arbiters Team: IA Dharmendra Kumar of India, Chief Arbiter (centre)

Good morning Himalaya! Young women participants of the Asian Zonal

Through the eye of the camera: Bangladeshi WIM Rani Hamid

Fun time: GM Ziaur Rahman and wife performing a duet while GM Niaz Murshid plays the guitar

Selfie! Players and officials at Nagarkot Tower for morning view of Mt. Everest

WIM S.D. Ransinghe with a rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal

Thanks to IA Dharmendra Kumar for all the photographs

Asian Zonal 3.2 Chess Championship-2015 (Open)

Asian Zonal 3.2 Women Chess Championship-2015 (Women)

About the author

FIDE Instructor Niklesh Kumar Jain is an international chess player who has participated in tournaments in almost in 20 different countries, winning the international tournament in Sri Lanka in 2010. He also worked for a television network as an anchor and news writer for two years, and reported in Hindi during World Chess Championship 2013 and 2014. Niklesh loves to write about tournaments and do interviews with chess champions. He has ambitions to become a grandmaster, but at the same time loves to train young talent. He strongly believes chess should be the part of every school curriculum, to face the challenges of the 21st century.