Mixed fortunes for Lodhi in chess event

Sole Pakistani impressed by Iranian players

KARACHI: National champion Mehmood Lodhi failed to follow up his first-round win in the Ferdowsi and Khyam International Chess Open in Mashhad with another as he suffered one loss and managed to draw two.

Lodhi began his campaign with a win over local favourite Javahri Shehrdad but faced tough competition against Khojasteh Mohammad and could only draw. He was outplayed by Tabasi Mehdi in the following round but continued his signature moves and drew the fourth-round fixture against Pirmaleki.

“It’s a tough competition, especially the Iranian players who are improving with every tournament,” Lodhi told The Express Tribune. “There’s a chess culture here unlike Pakistan. These people play chess regularly and compete in tournaments frequently. They’ve mastered the game effortlessly because it’s ubiquitous here in Iran.

“The cafes have chess tables for people to have a game and  talk simultaneously. For me, that’s refreshing. Winning is the target but I’m also trying to learn new techniques.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2012.