DHAKA, Sept 8, 2024 (BSS)- The national chess team will leave here for Hungary tomorrow (Monday) morning to take part in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad scheduled to be held in Budapest from September 10 to 23.

Bangladesh chess team will compete in the open division and women's division of the World Chess Olympiad. The Bangladesh chess team included delegate, two captains/managers, match arbiter, players and fellow passengers.

Grandmaster Niaz Murshed, who is currently staying in Germany, will join the team later stage.

A record number of 197 teams from 195 countries (including three teams of Hungary) in women's division and a record number of 184 teams from 182 countries (including three teams of Hungary) in the open section have already entered this year's Chess Olympiad. The game will start at 7 pm Bangladesh time every day.

In 2012, the Bangladesh chess team finished 33rd in the open category of the 40th World Chess Olympiad held in Istanbul. In the 42nd World Chess Olympiad held in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2016, Bangladesh ranked 76th out of 180 countries in the open category and 77th out of 139 countries in the women's category.

In the 43rd Chess Olympiad held in Batumi, Georgia in 2018, Bangladesh ranked 56th out of 185 countries in the Open category and 72nd out of 151 countries in the women's category. 

In the 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, India in 2022, the Bangladesh chess team ranked 66th out of 188 countries in the open category and 56th out of 162 countries in the women's category and won the silver medal in the women's team category. 

This time, the Bangladesh chess team of the open category, consisting of two grand masters, one international master and two fide masters, and the women's team, consisting of one woman international master, two female fide masters and two female candidate masters found hopeful to do better than the last time.

This time International Master Mohammad Fahad Rahman will try for Grand Master's norm, FIDE Master Manon Reja Neer and Tahsin Tajwar Zia will try for International Master's norm from open category. 

Four players in the women's division will try to achieve the International Women's Masters norm.
Bangladesh Chess Federation general secretary Syed Shahab Uddin disclosed the details at the press conference held at the chess federation hall-room today (Sunday). 

Grandmaster Enamul Hossain Razib, open team captain Masudur Rahman Mallick, women's team captain Mahmuda Hoque Choudhury Moly and Chess Olympiad match arbiter Md. Haroon Or Rashid were also present in the press conference.

Bangladesh chess team: (open division)- Masudur Rahman Mallick (captain), Grandmaster Enamul Hossain Razib (Rating-2354), Grandmaster Niaz Murshed (Rating-2318), International Master Mohammad Fahad Rahman (Rating-2419), FIDE Master Manon Reja Neer (Rating-2417) and FIDE Master Tahsin Tajwar Zia (Rating- 2255).

Bangladesh women's chess team: (women's division)- national instructor Mahmuda Hoque Choudhury Moly (captain), international women's master Rani Hamid (Rating-1900), woman FIDE master Noshin Anjum (Rating-2085), woman FIDE master Wadifa Ahmed (Rating-1988), woman candidate master Nusrat Jahan Alo (Rating-2033) and women's candidate master Walijah Ahmed (Rating-1936).