The pieces are set, in a name to remember

A landmark event in Bangladesh's chess calendar gets underway on Saturday, as Dhaka plays host to the inaugural GM Zia Memorial chess tournament. The event is a tribute to the late Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman, one of the most revered names in the nation's sporting history.
Organised by the Bangladesh Chess Federation (BCF) in collaboration with Zia's wife Tasnim Sultana Labony, the tournament honours a player whose influence transcended titles and trophies.
Zia, Bangladesh's second Grandmaster, tragically passed away on July 5 last year after collapsing during a national tournament game. The event has been timed to mark the first anniversary of his passing.
The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday at 3:00pm at the BCF Hall Room, with secretary of the national sports council, Aminul Islam, present as the chief guest to formally inaugurate the competition.
The tournament will run until July 12 in a nine-round Swiss League format. Around 70 players -- including one Grandmaster, four International Masters, one Woman International Master, and twelve FIDE Masters.
The tournament carries a prize fund of Tk 5 lakh, with Tk 1.5 lakh awarded to the champion. Additional prizes will be given to the best local, junior, and female players.
Zia, who became a Grandmaster in 2002, represented Bangladesh in 15 Chess Olympiads and reached a peak rating of 2570 -- still the highest ever for a Bangladeshi player.
His 15 national titles remain unmatched, and in 2022, he made history by competing in the Olympiad alongside his son, FM Tahsin Tajwar -- a legacy that now continues through this memorial tournament.
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