Chess in Iran: Premier Women's League

Report by FM Arash Akbarinia

The winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi, who has won the very first and only Nobel Prize for Iran, is just one of the shining examples of successful Persian women. Ms Ebadi is not a rare paradigm in this ancient country; Iranian girls remarkably make up more than sixty percent of university entrants.

Shirin Ebadi was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's and children's rights. She is the first Iranian, the first Shia and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize.

In chess, too, Iranian gentlewomen have won many Asian and World trophies. Currently Iran has one woman Grandmaster, two women International Masters and five woman Fide Masters; I am sure these numbers will be dramatically raised in a very near future, by our very talented young ladies.

The second Iranian Premier Women's League started July 9th in the building of the Iran Chess Federation. Ten clubs, including fifty players, more than half of them international rating holders, fight each other in a double round-robin tournament. The presence of three IMs, one WGM, two WIMs and five WFMs has warmed up the “Wisdom Cup”, another name of Iranian Premier Women's League.

IM Nana Dzagnidze, 2458, from Georgia, playing for Bayat Beton-e-Gilan, former champion in the World U12, U16, U18 and Junior Chess Championship. Nana has two grandmaster norms, I bet she will achieve her title in next to no time.

IM Salome Melia, 2416, from Georgia, playing for Khaneh-e-Shatrandj-e-Babol, former gold medalist of European U18 Championship and bronze medalist of World Girls U20 Championship

IM Sopiko Khukhashvili, 2408, from Georgia, playing for Petroshimi-e-Bandar-e-Emam. Next month in the Women's World Chess Championship, she plays against her compatriot IM Maia Lomineishvili, 2414.

In the first round that kicked off on Wednesday July 9th all the favourites won their game quite convincingly. In the most important board game Georgian IMs (Also WGMs) Sopiko Khukhashvili and Salome Melia, shared the point.

A member of Iran Team in the Dresden Olympiad, WIM Atousa Pourkashiyan, 2269, playing for Petroshimi-e-Bandar-e-Emam, will represent Iran in Women's World Chess Championship 2008, which will be held next month in Kabardino-Balkar Republic. She faces Russian GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2510.

WGM Shadi Paridar, 2238, playing for Petroshimi-e-Bandar-e-Emam, member of the Iranian Team in the Dresden Olympiad. A few years ago she and her other two sisters played in the Tehran League as a club named "Paridar"!

WIM Shayesteh Ghader Pour, 2148, playing for Petroshimi-e-Bandar-e-Emam. She will play as a member of the Iranian Team in the Dresden Olympiad.

Thursday July 10th, nine o’clock: the second round has started. In this round, too, all the front-runners beat their opponents convincingly. IM Nana Dzagnidze managed to gain the full point against her fellow-countrywoman IM Salome Melia. WFM Shirin Navabi 2060, member of Petroshimi-e-Bandar-e-Emam, the top team (from the average rating of players), lost an important half-point against her unrated opponent, Elham Shirvani.

WFM Shirin Navabi, 2060, Petroshimi-e-Bandar-e-Emam. Shirin has two bachelor degrees, one in law and the other in Physical Education. She is currently busy with her master thesis.

WFM Mona Mahini, 2095, Bayat Beton-e-Gilan, master student of Physical Education at Tehran University. Mona is one of the Iranian squad at the Dresden Olympiad.

WFM Mitra Hejazipour, 2137, playing for Daneshgah-e-Azad. She is fifteen and will also be part of the Iran Team in Dresden Olympiad.

Out of five matches of round three, which began on July 10th at five o’clock in the evening, three ended up with a four-nil result!! Bayat Beton-e-Gilan lost a vital point against Daneshgah-e-Payam-e-Nour; WFM Shohreh Bayat 1991 on board three was defeated by Shiva Mahboobi 1654.

From right to left: Deep in thought WFM Shohreh Bayat, 1991, Bayat Beton-e-Gilan. Her father is the manager of the club. Shohreh is a student of Natural Resources, and apparently her GPA is excellent. WFM Mona Mahini, 2095 and IM Nana Dzagndize 2458. The gentleman in the pink shirt is Kioumars Bayat, Shoehre’s father and next to him is FM Hamed Mousavian, coach of the club.

Shiva Mahboobi, 1654, Daneshgah-e-Payam-e-Nour, student of Physical Education. So far she has got 3.5 points out of four games, not bad!

Sareh Tajik, 2041, playing for Daneshgah-e-Azad. She was one of Iran's representatives in the World Universities Chess Championship.

The last game of the first week, round four, took place on Friday July 11th. In the most important game, Rahahan stopped Bayat Beton-e-Gilan with a surprisingly 2-2 result. On the top board WFM Ghazal Hakimifard 2018 astonishingly conquered IM Nana Dzagnidze 2458. Petroshimi-e-Bandar-e-Emam and Daneshgah-e-Azad continued their storming start and both crushed their rivals. Therefore, after the first week, both of these clubs, just with a tiny minus one point, stand at the top of the table.

Fourteen-year-old WFM Ghazal Hakimifard, 2018, playing for Rahahan, marvellously defeated her strong opponent IM Nana Dzagnidze 2458 in round four.

Rahahan Club, from right to left: Twelve-year-old Rana Hakimifard, 1850, Ghazal’s sister, fourteen-year-old Minoo Asgarizadeh, 1846, and fourteen-year-old Hanieh Khalaji, rated 1940. The Rahahan Club average age is just thirteen, considering top board player fourteen-year-old WFM Ghazal Hakimifard and forth board player twelve-year-old Nadia Bagheri, who are absent in this photo.

Matin Fardi, 1744, playing for Daneshgah-e-Payam-e-Nour. Matin comes from a province on the south coast of Caspian Sea, Gilan.

Ranking cross table after the fourth round

The second week will be held in Zanjan, 430 km from the Capital Tehran, on August 20th and 21st.

Venue of “Wisdom Cup”. At the end of the hall the poster of the 2000 World Chess Championship can be seen. The final match was between Anand and Shirov, which ended 3.5 to 0.5 for the Indian Super Grandmaster.

Petroshimi-e-Bandar-e-Emam shared the top place with Daneshgah-e-Azad after the fourth round. From right to left: IM Sopiko Khukhashvili 2408, WIM Atousa Pourkashiyan 2269, WGM Shadi Paridar 2238 and WIM Shayesteh Ghader Pour 2148.

Mona Saiedpour, 1842, member of the Mohandesi-e-Abzangan-e-Zanjan team. During the game she always plays with her Maghnae, headscarf!

Graphic artist Fatemeh Kia, 1794, Khaneh-e-Shatrandj-e-Gorgan. Apart from playing chess she is a very good chess teacher.

Zahra Saeidirad, playing for Daavat Oroumieh. Zahra is WIM Atousa Pourkashiyan's cousin. It seems that chess is a genetic sport.

Negar Shams, playing for Daneshgah-e-Payam-e-Nour. From time to time Negar’s mother also takes part in chess tournaments.

Salome Melia is full of energy and always has a happy face. She poses for a picture in Jamshdieh Park, a very beautiful stony park in the northern part of Tehran.

FM Arash Akbarinia, 2322

Previous articles by the author 05.01.2007: Iran emerges as a chess nation 15.03.2007: 2007 Asian Cities Chess Championship in Tehran 11.03.2008: International chess tournament in Fajr, Iran 30.03.2008: Iranian Chess Championship 2008 17.06.2008: Chess in Iran – the Premier League 23.06.2008: Chess in Iran – players and venues 02.07.2008: Chess in Iran: Premier League after five rounds 15.07.2008: Chess in Iran – Premier Women's League