The games of Asian Zonal Chess Championship men’s & women’s which is qualifying event for the World Cup Chess and the World Women Chess Championship began on Friday in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Six players are sharing lead in the points table with maximum 2 points after end of the 2nd round games in Open Section. They are GM Abdullah Al Rakib, GM Niaz Murshed, GM Enamul Hossain, IM Mohammad Minhaz Uddin, FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed and Kayastha Madan Krishna of Nepal.
GM Ziaur Rahman, IM Abu Sufian Shakil, Kurukulasurya Prasanna of Sri Lanka and Niraula Bhupendra of Nepal are sharing 2nd position with 1.5 points.
In the women’s section, WIM Shamima Akter Liza, WIM Rani Hamid, WFM Sharmin Sultana Shirin and WFM Nazrana Khan Eva are sharing lead with maximum 2 points after 2nd round. In the 2nd round games on Saturday morning, Rakib beat FM Debaraj Chatterjee, Niaz beat Jaiswal Rupesh of Nepal, Minhaz beat Shrestha Keshav, Enamul beat Galappaththi Chinthaka Anurud of Sri Lanka, Nasir beat Bhandari Kshitiz of Nepal, Zia beat FM Kh. Aminul Islam, Shakil split points with Kurukulasurya Prasann, Kayastha beat IM Mahmood Lodhi of Pakista.
In the 2nd round of women’s section, Liza beat WIM Ranasinghe of Sri Lanka, Sririn beat WFM Zakia Sultana, Eva beat Thapa Shanta and Mahmuda Hoque Chowdhury Moly beat Jaiswal Sangita of Nepal.
Thirty three players from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participating in open section and 15 players from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participate in women’s section.
