Losses for Reefat, Zia

Bangladesh International Masters Reefat-bin-Sattar and Ziaur Rahman ended their Second Asian Individual Chess Championship campaigns on losing notes in Udaipur, India on Friday.

Reefat lost to Indian Grand Master Pravin Thipsay while Zia bowed to International Master Isaev Jamshed of Tajikistan in the final round.

Reefat and Zia collected five and four and a half points respectively.

Third seeded Grand Master Xu Jun of China became champion. He earned eight and a half points.

Fellow Chinese GMs Peng Xiaomin and Zhang Zhong finished second and third half a point behind.

Twenty seven player from Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen took part in the championship.

In the eighth Asian Women's Chess Championship Tanima Parveen beat Narelle Szuvege of Australia while International Women Master Rani Hamid lost to Chinese Grand Master Qin Kanying in the final round.

Tanima earned five and a half points and Rani got five at the end of the tournament.

Vietnam Grand Master Hoang Thanh Trang lifted the title with nine points while Chinese Grand Master Qin Kanying became runner-up with 8.5 points.

Nineteen players from Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Kazakistan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Vietnam participated in the tournament.