By Ishani Upatharitha

RESULTS

Results of SL players in the 7th round:

* Ziaur Rahman (2434) beat Susal De Silva (2085)

* Khandaker Aminul Islam (2182) drew Ranindu D. Liyanage (2203)

* Rahman Mohammad Fahad (2314) beat A.A.C.B. Amarasinghe (1873)

Ranking SL players after the 7th round:

Key: Rank / Name (rating) / Points

6. Susal De Silva (2085) 4.5

7. Ranindu D. Liyanage (2203) 4.5

14. A. A. C. B. Amarasinghe (1873) 4.0

[caption id="attachment_141682" align="alignleft" width="227"] Bangladesh Grand Master Ziaur Rahman who beat SL FIDE Master Susal De Silva yesterday (8)[/caption]

Bangladesh Grand Master (GM) Ziaur Rahman (2434) beat Sri Lanka FIDE Master (FM), 15-years-old Susal De Silva of Nalanda College, Colombo, comfortably to keep his lead at 6½ points, out of seven games yesterday at day seven action in the Asian Zonal Hybrid Chess 2021.

He is in the lead where the other GM Enamul Hussain (2402), also from Bangladesh, is following closely with six points, just a half-a point behind, after beating Bangladesh FM Mehdi Hasan Parag.

GM Ziaur Rahman tried to follow the Trompovsky Opening. As a result of Susal plying a King’s side play, he lost several pawns in the Queen’s side which resulted in him losing the game.

Sri Lanka national chess champion Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage of Ananda College, Colombo fought hard in his game playing black with Bangladesh FM Islam Aminul (2182), but the game ended in a draw taking Liyanage to 4½ points out of the seven games.

Buddika Amarasinghe also lost with his usual English Opening to International Master (IM) Fahan Rahman (2314). In a game with space advantage, Buddika gave a centre pawn, which proved to be the losing point for him.

Now Susal and Ranindu stay in the sixth and seventh positions respectively with two games to go. Buddhika is in the 14th place in the event dominated by the Bangladeshi players.

[caption id="attachment_141683" align="alignleft" width="239"] Bangladeshi Grandmaster Enamul Hussain[/caption]

A total of 39 players are participating in the event including 20 players from Bangladesh, 10 from Pakistan, and three players each from Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately, some leading chess players of Sri Lanka, including rank no 1. Harshana Thilakaratne, could not participate in the event due to the current pandemic situation in the country.

The Asian Zonal Chess Championship 2021, the preliminary events for the FIDE World Chess Cup 2021 for the South Asia, began on 1 June on the Tornelo Platform. The Bangladesh Chess Federation is conducting the event from Dhaka and the Sri Lankan players are playing from the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka headquarters at Gangodawila, Nugegoda.

The event is in progress from 1 to 9 June in the Swiss System of nine rounds. The games are played from 3 to 8.30 p.m. each day.

The event is sponsored by the Saif Powertec Ltd.