Al-Ain: Bangladesh’s international master and national champion Manon Reja Neer (rating-2403) secured a victory against Singapore’s grand master Tin Jingyao (rating 2601) in the first-round game of the open category at the Asian Individual Chess Championship. The championship is currently taking place in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Manon Reja Neer, playing with the black pieces, opted for the King’s Indian defense and emerged victorious after 61 moves against grandmaster Tin Jingyao. This successful start highlights Neer’s potential in this competitive tournament.
In the same round of the open category, Bangladesh’s FIDE master Tahsin Tajwar Zia faced a defeat at the hands of Russian grandmaster Zemlyanskii Ivan. Additionally, FIDE master Sakline Mostafa Sajid lost to Chinese international master Chen Qi Bi. In the women’s category, woman FIDE master Noshin Anjum was defeated by Mongolian candidate master Mungunzul Bat-Erdene.
The tournament features games in both sections following a nine-round Swiss-league format. The top twelve players from the open section will earn spots in the FIDE World Cup Chess Championship, while the top three players from the women’s section will qualify for the Women’s Cup World Cup Chess Championship.
The open category has attracted a total of 154 participants, including fifty-one grandmasters and fifty-three international masters from various Asian and Australian countries, as well as Russia. Meanwhile, the women’s category sees 100 players competing, including two grandmasters, nineteen women’s grandmasters, thirteen international masters, and twenty-one women international masters, also from diverse regions across Asia, Australia, and Russia.