Bangladesh’s International Master and national champion Manon Reja Neer (rating 2403) pulled off a major upset in the opening round of the open category at the Asian Individual Chess Championship, defeating Singaporean grandmaster Tin Jingyao (rating 2601).
The tournament is being held in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Neer, playing with the black pieces, opted for the King’s Indian Defence and secured victory after 61 moves in the first-round game played on Wednesday.
Elsewhere in the open category on the same day, Bangladesh’s FIDE master Tahsin Tajwar Zia lost to Russian grandmaster Zemlyanskii Ivan, while FIDE master Sakline Mostafa Sajid suffered defeat against Chinese international master Chen Qi Bi.
In the women’s category, Bangladesh’s woman FIDE master Noshin Anjum was beaten by Mongolian candidate master Mungunzul Bat-Erdene.
Both sections of the tournament are being conducted in a nine-round Swiss-league format.
The top twelve players from the open category will qualify for the FIDE World Cup Chess Championship, while the top three players from the women’s section will earn spots in the Women’s World Cup Chess Championship.
A total of 154 players, including 51 grandmasters and 53 international masters from across Asia, Australia, and Russia, are competing in the open section.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
