After 21 Years, Dhaka Hosts Grandmasters Again—Chess Battle Begins!

After a long gap of 21 years, Dhaka is once again set to host a Grandmasters chess tournament. The Leonine Chess Club, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Chess Federation, is organising the third Leonine Grandmasters Chess Tournament, beginning this Saturday in Dhanmondi. The revival of such a prestigious tournament has already generated excitement among chess followers across the country.

A total of ten players from four nations will participate. The line-up includes three Grandmasters, four International Masters and three FIDE Masters. Bangladesh’s own Grandmaster Rifat Bin Sattar returns to standard-format chess after nearly three years, attracting much attention. He will be joined by Vietnam’s Grandmaster Nguyen Duc Hoa and Uzbekistan’s Grandmaster Abdimalik, the top-rated participant with a rating of 2553.

The competition will follow a round-robin format, where each participant faces every other player once. This structure presents an excellent opportunity for players to earn norms—seven points from nine matches are required for a Grandmaster norm, while five-and-a-half points are needed for an International Master norm. Bangladesh’s FIDE Master Saqlain Mostafa has the unique chance to chase both norms in the same event.

A press briefing held at the Leonine Chess Club premises featured distinguished guests, including media personality Abdun Noor Tushar, South Asia’s first Grandmaster Niaz Murshed and Women’s International Master Rani Hamid. Tushar highlighted the intellectual benefits of chess, noting its accessibility across ages. Niaz Murshed expressed hope that such international tournaments continue more frequently.

Leonine Chess Club officials explained that organisational challenges and federation instability prevented them from hosting such events since 2004. This year, the initiative has been revived thanks to the efforts of Tasmin Sultana, wife of the late Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman, who serves as the programme’s chief organiser.

With memories of the 2003 and 2004 editions—where Rifat Bin Sattar and Abdullah Al Rakib earned norms—Bangladesh’s rising talents like Fahad, Manon and Saqlain are eager to follow in their footsteps. The chess community now awaits ten intense days of strategic brilliance in Dhaka.