Team Pakistan bags two international titles at 45th Chess Olympiad

Two Pakistani chess players, Momin Fayzan and 11-year-old Aayat Asmi, have secured international titles following their performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary from September 10 to 23, 2024.

Momin Fayzan, playing in the open section of the tournament, secured 6.5 points out of a possible 11, qualifying for the Candidate Master (CM) title. Aayat, the team's youngest member who will be turning 12 next month, played in the women’s division and scored 5 out of 10, making her eligible for the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title.

In round 7 of the tournament, Aayat had a double forfeit against Japan's Takayasu Melody after both players drew without playing 30 moves each.

The game did not count towards her final score.

In chess, the CM and WCM titles introduced in 2002 are usually achieved with an Elo rating of 2200 or more, which is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players.

However, this requirement does not apply to direct CM/WCM titles earned at the Open and Women’s Chess Olympiads after the title regulations update effective from January 1st, 2024 by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

The new regulation entitles a player to the CM/WCM title if they finish the Olympiad with a score of 50% or more in the total games played.

According to Hanif Qureshi, the current president of the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP), the results are important because Pakistan came to compete in the largest chess competition in the world after 8 long years.

"I am very satisfied with the results of Aayat and Momin in the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary," he told The Express Tribune.

"Earlier, Aayat won bronze at the World School Championship in Aktau, Kazakhstan. Praise to Aayat and Momin, their parents, and FIDE for supporting their participation in international competitions."

He also said that the federation won the Best Chess Federation Excellence Award in Asia earlier.

Aayat's mother Sidra Butt acknowledged her daughter's achievement with pride. "Of course, I feel very happy and excited. She has worked very hard to be here," she told The Express Tribune. "It is unfortunate that we have limited facilities to show our potential. But Aayat is lucky to have the opportunity and I really wish she can become an inspiration for other girls."

Momin Fayzan plans on working for the International Master (IM) title in the future, which is significantly more valuable than CM.

However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the federation, saying that if things don’t change, he wants to play for Canada in the future. "The lack of support for players upsets me," he told The Express Tribune. "If this persists, I see no future for chess in Pakistan."

The titles will be officially awarded once the players complete the formalities, which include payment of the title fees, as outlined in FIDE regulations. Shujaat Ali, captain of the women's national team, confirmed the development.

Other team members in the open section, Mafaaz Khalid, FM Amer Karim, and Mudasir Iqbal scored 5, 5.5, and 3 points, respectively. In the women's section, Sehba Shah, WCM Zenobia Wasif, and WCM Mehak Gul scored 4, 5, and 6.5 out of 11, respectively.