Niaz Morshed
Encyclopedia
Niaz Murshed (Bangla: নিয়াজ মোরশেদ) (born May 13, 1966) is a renowned chess
player from Bangladesh
. He is the first Grandmaster to emerge from South Asia.
, Bangladesh
to Manzur Murshed and Najma Ahmed. Murshed developed a keen interest in chess at a very young age, when he picked up the game from his older brother. He became enamored with chess, and his talents flourished. Murshed grew up at an area (Eskaton) where chess was very popular. His neighbor was Jamilur Rahman, who later became a national champion himself. These favorable conditions may have contributed to the young Murshed's devotion to chess. Murshed passed his Secondary School Certificate (S.S.C.) exam in 1983 from St. Joseph High School and Higher Secondary Certificate (H.S.C.) exam in 1985 from Dhaka College
.
(in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982).
, India. In 1981, Murshed tied for first in the Asian Junior Championship, held in Dhaka, but was counted second on tiebreak since he had fewer wins (and losses) than Ricardo de Guzman (Philippines
) who was awarded the title and automatic IM. He also placed second in the zonal tournament, held in Sharjah
, UAE the same year, earning his International Master Title in the process. Murshed participated in the 1982 World Junior Championship, and although he failed to replicate his recent success, his game against Lars Schandorff of Denmark (later a Grand Master) was selected as the best game of the tournament. He played for Bangladesh in the Chess Olympiad
s of 1984, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2002 and 2004.
Murshed earned his first Grandmaster norm
in 1984 due to his success in Bela Crkva Open, Yugoslavia
(1983), Oakham
School Youth Tournament (ahead of Nigel Short
and Maxim Dlugy
), Novag Commonwealth
Chess Tournament 1984, Hong Kong
1984. He earned his second grandmaster norm in 1986, thanks to his solid performance in Capstain International Tournament, Dhaka (1985) and Calcutta Grandmasters Tournament, Calcutta (1986). In 1987, FIDE awarded him the Grandmaster title, making him the first GM in South Asia.
, Philadelphia, United States to study economics. He played in only a handful tournament during this time. Upon earning his bachelors degree, Murshed returned to chess. However, his playing declined when he found it hard to adapt to the new generation of information driven chess. Nonetheless, he still found success from time to time in the international scene: first in the Goodric, India (1991), second in the GM Tournament, Cebu
, Philippines
(1992), third in the Doha Chess Festival, Qatar
(1993), T-1st place with two other contestants in the zonal tournament (1993), and finally, T-2nd place in the Commonwealth Chess Championship in 2004.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player from Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He is the first Grandmaster to emerge from South Asia.
Early life
Niaz Murshed was born in DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
to Manzur Murshed and Najma Ahmed. Murshed developed a keen interest in chess at a very young age, when he picked up the game from his older brother. He became enamored with chess, and his talents flourished. Murshed grew up at an area (Eskaton) where chess was very popular. His neighbor was Jamilur Rahman, who later became a national champion himself. These favorable conditions may have contributed to the young Murshed's devotion to chess. Murshed passed his Secondary School Certificate (S.S.C.) exam in 1983 from St. Joseph High School and Higher Secondary Certificate (H.S.C.) exam in 1985 from Dhaka College
Dhaka College
, located in Dhaka, is one of Bangladesh's earliest and most prestigious higher educational institutions. It offers both four years bachelor's and one years masters course in various majors, but it is best known for HSC...
.
Domestic chess career
Murshed, as a nine year old, entered the preliminary rounds of the national chess championship. Although he failed to qualify, he left a lasting impression on all present. By the time Murshed was 12 years old, he was considered one of the top players in Bangladesh. In 1978, he finished first in the national championship with two others, but ultimately placed third on a tie-breaker. He went on to win the next four national championshipsBangladeshi Chess Championship
The Bangladeshi Chess Championship is the annual individual national chess championship of Bangladesh.-Winners:-References:* List of champions and details of the 2007 edition: , * List of women's champions and details of the 2007 edition: ,...
(in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982).
International chess career
In 1979, Murshed played in his first international competition at KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India. In 1981, Murshed tied for first in the Asian Junior Championship, held in Dhaka, but was counted second on tiebreak since he had fewer wins (and losses) than Ricardo de Guzman (Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) who was awarded the title and automatic IM. He also placed second in the zonal tournament, held in Sharjah
Sharjah (city)
Sharjah is the third largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the seat of government of the emirate of Sharjah...
, UAE the same year, earning his International Master Title in the process. Murshed participated in the 1982 World Junior Championship, and although he failed to replicate his recent success, his game against Lars Schandorff of Denmark (later a Grand Master) was selected as the best game of the tournament. He played for Bangladesh in the Chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
s of 1984, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2002 and 2004.
Murshed earned his first Grandmaster norm
Grandmaster norm
A norm in chess is one of the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster from FIDE.- Grandmaster norm :In order to qualify for the title of Grandmaster of chess, a title awarded by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, a player must achieve three or more grandmaster norms in events covering a...
in 1984 due to his success in Bela Crkva Open, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
(1983), Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
School Youth Tournament (ahead of Nigel Short
Nigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
and Maxim Dlugy
Maxim Dlugy
Maxim Dlugy is a Grandmaster of chess. He was born on January 29, 1966 in Moscow, USSR. He arrived with his family in the United States in about 1979. He was a late developer and was only an average player for his age until he shot up in strength in the early 1980s. He was awarded the International...
), Novag Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
Chess Tournament 1984, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
1984. He earned his second grandmaster norm in 1986, thanks to his solid performance in Capstain International Tournament, Dhaka (1985) and Calcutta Grandmasters Tournament, Calcutta (1986). In 1987, FIDE awarded him the Grandmaster title, making him the first GM in South Asia.
Hiatus and return
After earning his GM title, Murshed went to the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, Philadelphia, United States to study economics. He played in only a handful tournament during this time. Upon earning his bachelors degree, Murshed returned to chess. However, his playing declined when he found it hard to adapt to the new generation of information driven chess. Nonetheless, he still found success from time to time in the international scene: first in the Goodric, India (1991), second in the GM Tournament, Cebu
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(1992), third in the Doha Chess Festival, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
(1993), T-1st place with two other contestants in the zonal tournament (1993), and finally, T-2nd place in the Commonwealth Chess Championship in 2004.