Bangladesh鈥檚 veteran women鈥檚 international master Rani Hamid continued her winning spree despite her team鈥檚 average performance in the women鈥檚 section of the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday.
The 80-year-old Rani, who started to represent her from the third round, won all of her six games as the women鈥檚 team has 11 points so far after their loss to Argentina by 3-1 points in the ninth round.
Though Rani defeated WIM Sarquis Maria Belen, her country slipped to 43rd position from the previous 28th among 170 nations.
Bangladesh women鈥檚 team has so far registered five wins against one draw and three losses.
In her previous five rounds of games, Rani defeated Springer Leshay of Barbados, Rebatenne Boitshepo of Botswana, Altesor Caterina of Uruguay, WCM Ramirez Luzon Franchesca of the Dominican Republic, and Zaritovskaja Margarita of Sweden.
In the other games of the ninth round, Bangladesh鈥檚 WFM Noshin Anjum, WCM Nusrat Jahan Alo, and WFM Wadifa Ahmed lost to WGM Francisco Guecamburu Cendela Be, WIM Campos Maria Jose, and Borda Rodas Anapaola of Argentina, respectively.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh men鈥檚 team won against Lebanon in the ninth round open section by 2.5-1.5 points to secure 10 points and jumped up to 75th position from 84th among 189 teams.
Bangladesh鈥檚 IM Fahad Rahman drew against FM El Jawich Amro of Lebanon, while FM Manon Reja Neer and FM Tahsin Tajwar Zia won against FM Khoder Akram, and Assaad Joe and GM Enamul Hossain Razib lost to Arkadan Adib in the open section.
The Bangladesh men鈥檚 team was facing Israel in the 10th round on Saturday, but Razib pulled out of the game after the grandmaster declared a boycott against the country in protest of Israel鈥檚 position on the Gaza crisis.
鈥楻ussia and Belarus did not get to participate as a team in the 2024 Hungary Chess Olympiad and the 2022 Chennai Chess Olympiad. Then how can Israel participate in the current situation? Tomorrow (Saturday), Bangladesh team have games against them. I am boycotting,鈥� said Razib on a Facebook post, accompanied by the hashtags #BoycottIsrael and #StandWithJustice.
