IUB chess team wins division title of 2023 Collegiate Chess League

The Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) chess team, known as Team IUB Mittens, has emerged as the division champion in the 2023 Autumn Collegiate Chess League. The prestigious event, hosted online by Chess.com and sponsored by Sig, concluded on November 29, after a two-month competitive run beginning September 23.

In a league that saw participation from over 290 universities globally, Team IUB Mittens displayed exceptional skill and strategy. During the league phase, IUB tied for first place, securing victories against teams from the University of Waterloo, Brown University, University of Cape Town, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and Colby College. The championship was clinched following a decisive win against the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in the final round.

The IUB team comprised Amit Bikram Roy, Aiman Saad Hamid, and Kazi Zarin Tasnim from the Computer Science and Engineering department; Baniyamin Rabin Rahman from Biochemistry; and Justin Mathias from General Management. Amit Bikram Roy, a member of the IUB ARROWS, which is a fully-funded scholarship programme, achieved the highest board points in the top board. Legendary chess maestro, Niaz Murshed, the first South Asian to earn the Grandmaster title, served as the team's mentor.