Subrota claims GM Zia Memorial 2025 crown; Tahsin Zia a close second

FIDE Master Subrota Biswas became champion in GM Zia Memorial 2025 after beating IM Minhaz Uddin Ahmed in the ninth and final round at the Bangladesh Chess Federation Hall Room on Friday.

Subrota finished with an impressive eight points from nine matches in the event -- organised to honour the memory of the late Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman, who tragically passed away while playing a match during the 12th round match of the National Chess Championship in Dhaka.

FM Tahsin Taswar Zia, son of GM Zia, finished second with 7.5 points after tie-breaking with IM Kushagra Mohan, who also secured 7.5 points.

Tahsin beat FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed, while Indian IM Kushagra Mohan beat CM Silwal Purushottam of Nepal in the ninth round.

Three players -- Indian IM Subhayan Kundu, IM Manon Reja Neer, and Anata Chowdhury -- earned equal 6.5 points each, and the tie-breaker saw Kundu, Neer and Anata finish 4th, 5th and 6th, respectively.

The four-lakh prize money tournament got underway last Saturday with 64 players, including six players from India and Nepal. Mahbub-Ul-Alam, Secretary of Youth and Sports, is supposed to distribute prizes among the winners this afternoon.