KATHMANDU, March 28: Asian Zonal 3.2 Chess Championship, the qualifying tournament for Chess World Cup 2015, began on Friday in Bhaktapur.
The first round match of the nine-round event to be played in the Swiss round robin league format was played on Friday. Bangaldesh’s International Master (IM) Minhazuddin Ahmed and Abu Sufian Shakil won their respective first round matches in open section. Ahmed rated 2443 eased past Nepal’s Candidate Master (CM) Krishna Thapa rated 2041 and Shakil rated 2351 overcame Janardan Shrestha of Nepal rated 2015.
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Asian Zonal chess championship from March 18
Sri Lanka’s FIDE Master (FM) Anurud Chinthaka rated 2143 beat Nepal’s CM Prachanda Man Malakar with rating 1907. Nepal’s Madan Krishna Kayastha with 2083 rating edged past Anup Pokharel with rating 1694.
In the women’s section, Bangladesh’s Women’s International Master (WIM) Rani Hamid beat Nepal’s Binita Kapali and Sri Lanka’s WIM SD Ranasinghe saw off Pakistan’s Zenobia Wasif.
The event features players 32 players in open section and 15 players in women’s section from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The winner of either section will get direct entry into the FIDE Chess World Cup to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from September 10 to October 4. In addition to berth in the global event, the winner in the men’s section will earn International Master (IM) title. Similarly, players to earn 65 percent point in the nine-round event will earn FIDE Master (FM) honor and 50 percent point shall fetch Candidate Master (CM) titles respectively.
The winner of women’s event will earn Women International Master (WIM) title and female players earning 65 percent and 50 point points will earn Women FM and Women CM honor respectively.
Earlier, Asian Chess Federation General Secretary Hisam Al-Tahir inaugurated the event.
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