Bangladesh made a good start in the open and women鈥檚 sections of the Asian Zone 3.2 Chess Championship as their six campaigners won their respective first-round games in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday.
In the first round of the open section, four of the seven Bangladeshi campaigners prevailed over their Sri Lankan counterparts as reigning national champion and International Master Manon Raja Neer beat Karunasena Chanitha Sihas Dinisara, IM Fahad Rahman defeated Induwara Thisarindu, FIDE Master Tahsin Tajwar Zia defeated Janukshan and FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman beat Dandiniya.
While Bangladesh FM Sakline Mostafa Sajid lost to Ganepola Thushanu Yasmith, Kazi Afsan Rawank Anan lost to Candidate Master Wijerathna Vinuka Dihain, and Tanvir Alam lost to IM Liyanage Ranindu Dalishan.
In the first round of the women鈥檚 section, WIM Rani Hamid defeated Nihaya Ahmed of Maldives, while WFM Noshin Anjum won against Sindira Joshi of Nepal, and Ashiya Sultana lost to Pallie Ehsha Mishela of Sri Lanka.
A total of 39 players, including four IMs and six CMs from six countries鈥擝angladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka鈥攁re taking part in the open section of this championship, which is also the qualifying round of the Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 World Cup Chess.
In the women鈥檚 section, a total of 23 players, including two WIMs and two WFMs, also from the same countries, are taking part.
This championship is also offering the opportunity to directly achieve the titles of IM, WIM, FM, WFM, CM, and WCM alongside the opportunity of achieving the norms of IM and WIM.