Bangladesh Woman FIDE Master Wadifa Ahmed earned the Women International Master title after becoming unbeaten champion in the Asian Zonal 3.2 Chess Championship, which concluded in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday.
Wadifa secured the championship by scoring seven points after drawing against compatriot WIM Rani Hamid in the ninth and final round. As a consequence, she also qualified for the forthcoming Women鈥檚 World Cup 2025 to be held in Batumi, Georgia, in July.
Wadifa won the title after a tiebreaker, having tied with WIM GD Oshini of Sri Lanka on identical seven points after the final round.
Meanwhile, Rani finished seventh with 5.5 points, while WFM Noshin Anjum became 12th with 4.5 points and Ashiya Sultana 22nd with three points in the women鈥檚 section.
In the men鈥檚 section, IM Manon Reja Neer won the title and qualified for the Men鈥檚 World Cup after securing seven points following a draw against Sri Lankan IM LR Dilshan.
FM Tahsin Tajwar Zia earned his second IM norm, finishing as runners-up in tie-breaker of the open section with 6.5 points by beating Sanuk Nanayakkara.
IM Dilshan, IM Fahad Rahman, and FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman held third to fifth places, respectively.
Tahsin previously earned one of the three required norms to achieve IM status during the Zonal Chess Championship in Dhaka two years ago.
Among other Bangladeshi campaigners, FM Sakline Mostafa Sajid placed 22nd, Kazi Afsan Rawnak Anan 24th with 4.5 points each, Amit Bikram Roy placed 32nd with 3.5 points and Tanvir Alam 37th with three points.
