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Iranian chess master Hejazipour shines in Asia championship

Tuesday, 11 August 2015 1:30 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 11 August 2015 1:30 PM ]

Iranian female chess player Mitra Hejazipour

Iranian female chess player Mitra Hejazipour has displayed commendable performance at the Asian Continental Chess Championships in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and claimed the top position in the sporting event.

On Monday, the 22-year-old international master overcame Indian opponent Mary Ann Gomes in the final round of the competition at the Hilton hotel in Al Ain.

Following the victory, Hejazipour secured 35 units to her international rating. The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), which is the world chess organization, also awarded the Iranian youth the grandmaster title.

Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain, and is held for life.

In other chess matches of the day, Iran’s Sara Sadat Khadem al-Sharieh, who holds the titles of international master and woman grandmaster, conceded defeat to a representative from Singapore to have only 5 points in pocket.

Another Iranian chess player Atousa Pourkashiyan defeated Nisha Mohota from India to collect 5.5 points.

Additionally, Iranian female athlete Ghazal Hakimifard, who holds the international master title, conquered her Emirati rival to earn 5.5 points. Iran’s Hanieh Khalaji also routed her compatriot Minou Asgarizadeh in a chess match staged on home soil to win 4 points.

The Asian Continental Chess Championships (Open and Women’s) opened at the Hilton Hotel in Al Ain, the UAE, on August 1, and will wrap up on August 13.

The tournament is conducted as a Swiss system competition of 9 rounds, and the matches are played according to FIDE regulations.

The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an addition of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.

Hejazipour’s next step is to participate in the 2015 Chess World Cup slated to be held next month in Azerbaijan.

She will be Asia’s sole representative in the single-elimination tournament, which will start in the Azeri capital city of Baku on September 10, and will finish on October 5.

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