Wasim Akram leads Pakistan national chess event

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

More chess news from Pakistan. National chess master and Pakistan No 3 Wasim Akram caused a major upset in the 2nd Pakistan Chess Players Association (PCPA) Open Chess Championship Zahiruddin Farooqui Trophy underway at Beach Luxury Hotel when he beat defending champion Mahmood Lodhi in the the event’s fourth round.

Four times national champion and Pakistan No 2 Tanveer Gilani also fell into difficulties against national master Asad Rampuri. Asad was in a better position against his counterpart but failed in maneuvering his pieces correctly before losing the game. But Tanveer’s joy was short-lived as Lodhi beat him in 57 moves in the fifth round to bounce back in the event.

Wasim Akram leads with five points, Mahmood Lodhi and Pakistan No 34 Khurram Qureshi were tied for the second spot with four points, No 10 Riasat Ali Nazim, No 8 Syed Wahid Hussain and No 4 Anwar Qureshi, Tanveer Gilani, Jahangir Ahmed and Asif Abbasi are tied at third position with 3.5 points.

The third day’s matches were watched by visiting British Grandmaster Nigel Short who is a guest-of-honour at the event. “I wouldn’t object to coaching in Pakistan if given an offer if you can find sponsorship to arrange that. I wouldn’t have the slightest problem with that,” he said.

The grandmaster would be playing chess with 12 young players of the country. Read further here.

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