Dhaka, Mar 21 (UNB) – Bangladeshi Grand Masters Mollah Abdullah Al Rakib and Enamul Hossain Razib shared the top slot in the Open section of the Asian Zonal Chess Championships (Zone 3.2) securing 5.5 points each after the 7th round matches at the conference room of SREDA at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in the city on Thursday.

Four players are sharing the 2nd position with 5 points each. They are GM Ziaur Rahman & FM Mohammad Fahad Rahman of Saif Sporting Club, GM Reefat Bin Sattar and IM Mohammad Minhaz Uddin of Bangladesh Navy.  

Six other players are sharing the 3rd slot securing 4.5 points each. They are FM Mehdi Hasan Parag, FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman, CM SM Sharon, CM Sohel Chowdhury, Nayem Haque and FM Thilakarathne of Sri Lanka. 

In the 7th round games of the Open section, GM Rakib beat GM Zia, GM Razib drew with FM Fahad, GM Reefat beat IM Shakil, IM Minhaz drew with FM Thilakarathe, FM Parag drew with Nayem, FM Mahfuz drew with Shawket Bin Osman Shaon, CM Sohel defeated FM Md Taibur Rahman, CM Sharon beat Swarnavo Choudhury, Md Jamal Uddin trounced FM Mohammad Javed, Alahakoon Isuru outplayed Tahsin Tajwar Zia, CM Md Sharif Hossain overcame Mortuza Muhtadi Islam, CM Chanchal Kumer Ghosh beat Sadnan Hasan Dihan, CM Keshav Shrestha of Nepal beat Mihir Lal Das, CM Subrota Biswas drew with FM Md Saif Uddin, CM Mahtabuddin Ahmed beat Md Asadujjaman, Jabed Al Azad beat Mortuza Mahathir Islam, Dibakar Dibya beat Nasir Hasan and Dr Ratan Kumar Paul beat Md. Murshedul Kabir. 

In Women’s section, WFM Sharmin Sultana Shirin of Janata Bank Officer Welfare Society and WCM Noshin Anjum were jointly leading the meet securing 5.5 points each after the 7th round matches.
 
WFM Syeda Shabana Parveen is in the 2nd position with 5 points. 

Four players are sharing the 3rd position with 4.5 points each. They are WIM Rani Hamid, WFM Tanima Parveen, WFM Nazrana Khan Eva and Jannatul Ferdous. 

In the 7th round games of the Women’s section,  WFM Shirin drew with WFM Nipa, WCM Noshin beat WFM Zakia Sultana, WFM Eva drew with WFM Tanima, WIM Rani Hamid defeated Kazi Zarin Tasnim, Jannatul beat WFM Premanath Dinushki of Sri Lanka, Israt Jahan Diba drew with Ahmed Walijah, WIM Ranasinghe SD of Sri Lanka beat Kiswara Shajrin Eavan, Sabikun Nahar Tonima beat WFM Sujana Lohani of Nepal, Nusrat Jahan Alo drew with Jahanara Haque Runu, Samiha Chowdhury beat Aeon Sarker and Thakur Jania Haque beat Wadifa Ahmed. 

The 8th round games of both sections will be held on Friday (March 22) from 3pm at same venue.