Ali clinches Punjab Qualifying Chess title

LAHORE – Syed Muhammad Ali of Gujranwala won the Punjab Qualifying Chess Championship 2022 while Nazar Hussain and Rashid Rafique of Sheikhupura secured second and third positions respectively on Monday night. As many as 14 top players of Punjab Chess Qualifying Championship will represent Punjab province in the National Chess Championship to be held in June. The players, who have qualified to represent Punjab team in upcoming National Chess Championship, include Aqib Javed Butt (Lahore), Rashid Pervez (Sargodha), Iftikhar Ali (Gujranwala), Fauzanullah (Lahore), Shehryar Najmi (Lahore), Ali Akbar (Toba Tek Singh), Zaman Sohail (Lahore), Junaid Sohail (Lahore), Jahanzeb Sohail (Rawalpindi), Asadullah (Lahore) and Atiq Manzoor (Lahore), who were congratulated and applauded by DG Sports Punjab Javed Chohan. More than 100 top players from all divisions participated in the event organized under the auspices of Sports Board Punjab and Chess Association of Punjab here at Nishtar Park Sports Complex Gymnasium Hall. Top five players of the National Chess Championship will participate in the International Chess Olympiad scheduled to be staged in India in July this year.