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The top seeded Iranian team Rasht registered a convincing 4-0 victory over Dubai in the final round to clinch the Dubai Cup with 16 match points in the Asian Cities Chess Championship, which concluded here at KIIT University today. The four-member Rasht team featured Tahbaz Arash, Faghirnavaz Ali, FM Sadeh Shahin and IM Soozankar AM.
Host Bhubaneswar (KIIT) team, comprising of IMs Swayams Mishra, Sekhar Chandra Sahoo, WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty, FM Rakesh Kumar Jena and Utkal Ranjan Sahoo, finished runners-up with 14 match points, while Dhaka finished third with 13 match points.
Rakesh Kumar Jena of Bhuaneswar (KIIT) won the gold medal on the second board while Rasht team members Arash Tahbaz, Faghirnavaz Ali, Sadeh Shahin and Soozankar A M won gold on first, third, fourth and fifth boards respectively.
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Odisha players secured three more board prizes in the week-long championship. While Utkal Ranjan Sahoo (Bhubaneswar) and Rajesh Nayak (Puri) bagged silver medal on third and fourth boards respectively, Kiran Manisha Mohanty (Bhubaneswar) claimed bronze on the fifth board.
Altogether 12 teams, including five from India and four from Odisha, participated in the nine-round championship, which was jointly organised by Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA).
In a colourful closing ceremony, KIIT and KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences) founder Dr Achuyuta Samanta gave away the medals and trophies to the winners in presence of All India Chess Federation vice-president Sekhar Chandra Sahu, AOCA secretary KK Sarma and chief arbiter Mahadi Abulrahim.
FINAL STANDINGS: 1. Rasht, Iran (16), 2. Bhubaneswar, India (14), 3. Dhaka, Bangladesh (13), 4. Penang, Malaysia (12), 5. Kolkata, India (9), 6. Puri, India (8), 7. Dubai, UAE (7), 8. Muscat, Oman (7), 9. Alquds, Palestine (7), 10. Chinese Taipei (6), 11. Bhubaneswar `A’, India (5), 12. Cuttack, India (4).
BOARD PRIZES: Board-1: 1. Tahbaz Arash (Rasht, Iran), 2. Looi Xin Hao (Penang, Malaysia), 3. Rahman Syed Mahfuzur (Dhaka, Bangladesh). Board-2: 1. Rakesh Kumar Jena (Bhubaneswar, India), 2. Sultan Ibrahim (Dubai, UAE), 3. Wong Yinn Long (Penang, Malaysia). Board-3: 1. Faghirnavaz Ali (Rasht, Iran), 2. Sahoo Utkal Ranjan (Bhubaneswar, India), 3. Islam Kh Aminul (Dhaka, Bangladesh). Board-4: 1. Sadeh Shahin (Rasht, Iran), 2. Nayak Rajesh (Puri, India), 3. Tan Jun Ying (Penang, Malaysia). Board-5: 1. Soozankar AM (Rasht, Iran), 2. Rahman Md Taibur (Dhaka, Bangladesh), 3. Kiran Manisha Mohanty (Bhubaneswar, India).
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TOP: Members of champion Rasht team with their trophy and medals in Bhubaneswar on Sept 1, 2017.
RIGHT: Members of runners-up Bhubaneswar team with their trophy and medals on Sept 1, 2017.
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