Ziaur Rahman, Liza Akter win Asian Zonal

by Niklesh Kumar Jain
4/7/2015 – 33 male players and 15 females, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, assembled in Ratnagiri Resort near Katmandu in Nepal, withing sight of Mount Everest. They took part in the Asian Zonal section 3.2, won $1,500 and 1,000 dollars, but more importantly qualified for the FIDE World Cup. We bring you a special illustrated report from the top of the world.

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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)

Rg. SNr   Name Elo FED
Pts
RtgØ BH. BH. BH.
1 2 GM Rahman Ziaur 2496 BAN
2328 44 39½ 37½
2 1 GM Abdulla Al-Rakib 2521 BAN
2360 45 40½ 37½
3 5 GM Hossain Enamul 2437 BAN
6
2349 45 40½ 37½
4 4 IM Minhazuddin Ahmed 2443 BAN
6
2273 44 39½ 37½
5 11 CM Jaiswal Rupesh 2156 NEP
6
2210 42 39 34½
6 3 GM Murshed Niaz 2464 BAN
2317 48 43 40½
7 6 IM Abu Sufian Shakil 2351 BAN
2252 44 39 37½
8 16   Kayastha Madan Krishna 2083 NEP
2246 39 35½ 33
9 7 IM Lodhi Mahmood 2345 PAK
2209 42 38 34½
10 25   Niraula Bhupendra 1989 NEP
5
2344 43½ 39 37½
11 17   Thing Bibek 2069 NEP
5
2190 39½ 36 33
12 15 FM Kurukulasuriya Prasanna 2083 SRI
5
2181 39 36 31½
13 10 FM Chatterjee Debaraj 2280 BAN
5
2170 36 33 29½
14 18 FM Hamal Manish 2067 NEP
5
2061 35 32 27½
15 8 FM Ahmed Sk. Nasir 2336 BAN
2227 43 39½ 35½
16 12 FM Galappaththi Chinthaka 2143 SRI
2121 36 33½ 30
17 13 CM Shrestha Keshav 2136 NEP
2090 35 32 29
18 20 CM Thapa Krishna 2041 NEP
2052 31 28½ 25
19 14 CM Chowdhury Sohel 2123 BAN
2051 34 31½ 28
20 21 CM Rajbhandari Rijendra 2037 NEP
4
2219 39 36 32½
21 23   Alahakoon Isuru 2011 SRI
4
2147 37 33½ 31½
22 9 FM Islam Kh. Aminul 2282 BAN
4
2082 37½ 34½ 30
23 27 FM Shrestha Sujendra Prasad 1925 NEP
4
1982 30 27½ 24
24 30   Bhandari Kshitiz 1893 NEP
2093 36½ 33 31
25 33   Pokhrel Anup 1694 NEP
2064 33½ 30½ 28
26 22   Shrestha Janardan 2015 NEP
2012 30½ 28 24½
27 19   Lama Himal 2046 NEP
3
2161 37 34 31½
28 31   Ghimire Bishwo Bijay 1841 NEP
3
2116 35½ 32 30½
29 28 CM Malakar Prachand Man 1907 NEP
3
2045 30 27½ 25
30 24   Maharjan Sajin 2001 NEP
2111 32 29 27½
31 26   Lama Dharam Bahadur 1927 NEP
2081 30½ 27½ 25½
32 32   Baidya Arun Shankar 1741 NEP
0
2049 24½ 23 19½
33 29   Thapa Mahesh 1903 NEP
0
0 25½ 24 21

Asian Zonal 3.2 Women Chess Championship-2015 (Women)

Rg. SNr   Name Elo FED
Pts
RtgØ BH. BH. BH.
1 1 WIM Shamima Akter Liza 2130 BAN
1846 42½ 38½ 35½
2 4 WFM Khan Nazrana 1965 BAN
7
1881 42½ 38½ 35
3 3 WIM Hamid Rani 1989 BAN
1877 43 39 35½
4 2 WFM Sultana Sharmin 2031 BAN
1858 43½ 39½ 36
5 6 WIM Ranasinghe S D 1838 SRI
5
1869 45 41 37½
6 13   Wasif Zenobia 1551 PAK
5
1789 38½ 35½ 31
7 11   Adhikari Ashmita 1627 NEP
5
1710 31½ 29½ 24½
8 9   Chowdhury Mahmuda 1710 BAN
1897 42 39½ 34½
9 8   Khamboo Monalisa 1733 NEP
1848 38½ 36½ 31
10 15   Jaiswal Bina 1516 NEP
1840 41 39 33½
11 5 WFM Sultana Zakia 1949 BAN
4
1882 44½ 41½ 37
12 10   Kapali Binita 1661 NEP
3
1744 34½ 32½ 28
13 7   Thapa Shanta 1777 NEP
1651 33 30½ 26
14 12   Jaiswal Sangita 1616 NEP
2
1689 30 27½ 25½
15 14 WCM Thing Suruchee 1540 NEP
1714 28½ 26½ 23½

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.

 


FIDE Instructor Niklesh Kumar Jain 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.

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