45th National Chess C’ship: Niaz beats Reefat to extend lead

Grand Master Niaz Murshed beat fellow GM Reefat Bin Sattar to extend his lead in the Saif Powertec 45th National Chess Championship at the end of the fourth round at the Institute of Engineers of Bangladesh building in the capital yesterday.

The sub-continent's first GM, playing with black pieces, beat Reefat after 38 moves to take himself to four points from four games.

Niaz was leading six players -- GM Abdullah Al Rakib, GM Ziaur Rahman, IM Fahad Rahman, IM Minhaz Uddin Ahmed, IM Abu Sufian Shakil and FM Taibur Rahman -- who shared the second position with three points each.

In some of the other games, Rakib drew against Minhaz; Taibur beat FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed; Zia beat CM Saiful Islam Chowdhury; GM Enamul Hossain Razib beat FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman; CM Manon Reja Neer beat Delwar Hossain while and WIM Rani Hamid beat CM Monir Hossain.