Zia ‘Bangladesh’s best’ with legacy unparalleled

Bangladesh's fourth GM Abdullah Al Rakib shared his experience and memories with Ziaur Rahman, who passed away from a heart attack while competing in the National Chess Championship in Dhaka yesterday. Here are the excerpts:

"I have been playing for the national team since the age of 14 and from the beginning, I had a good personal relationship with Zia bhai; someone who always treated me as a younger brother. I have numerous memories with him during our chess journey.

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"A friendly, big-hearted person, his simplicity, strong ethics and sincerity always inspired us. When we came into the scene, Niaz [Murshed] bhai had already passed his prime. We didn't see much of his playing before he became Grandmaster, but Zia bhai and Rifat [Bin Sattar] bhai had seen him at work.

"I think Zia bhai's dedication and contribution to the sport is unmatched. After Niaz bhai, Zia bhai got the first GM norm and then I achieved the landmark in 2007. After that, Zia bhai told me that my GM norm has made him excited to seek another GM norm.

"Actually, we were not jealous about others' success. We have become Grandmaster nearly at the same time. We played so many tournaments as teammates and also as opponents. I can't describe all these words.

"I think his contribution to the sport and Bangladesh will be remembered for a long time. I can say that, performance-wise, he was the best chess player for Bangladesh."