FIDE Master Noshin Anjum Seals Hat-Trick Title at National Women’s Chess Championship
FIDE Master Noshin Anjum has successfully defended her title, securing the National Women’s Chess Championship for the third consecutive time! The 21-year-old champion clinched the crown after drawing her final round match against Warsia Khushbu.
Playing with the white pieces, Noshin offered a draw after just six moves, and Khushbu readily accepted, ensuring Noshin maintained her lead in the standings.
The Road to the Hat-Trick
Noshin finished at the top of the table with 8.5 points after 11 rounds of intense competition, recording seven wins, three draws, and only one loss. That single defeat, however, briefly shattered her confidence.
The loss came in the third round against Nusrat Jahan Alo, an experience Noshin shared with journalists after the final round at the Chess Federation room today:
Noshin said: “I was very frustrated after losing to Alo. I was losing focus on the game. My mother encouraged me, saying if I won the remaining games and Alo lost one, there would be a play-off. I drew inspiration from that and won the rest of my games.”
A Changing Competitive Landscape
The championship also saw the participation of legendary chess player Rani Hamid, a 20-time National Chess Champion, who, at 81, remains a regular fixture on the board, though she finished 11th with 2.5 points this year.
Noshin believes the standard of competition in women’s chess has significantly improved:
The hat-trick champion commented: “When I first started playing in the National Women’s Chess Championship, many elderly women used to play. Now, apart from Rani Aunty, everyone is very young. Anyone has the potential to beat anyone. The standard of competition is definitely higher now
Chasing the International Master Title
Noshin now has her sights set on achieving the International Master (IM) title, for which she needs one more Norm and a rating of 2200. Her current FIDE rating stands at 1900.
• Rating Challenge: “When I was in my best form, my rating was 2100+. The K-factor in chess drops from 40 to 20 when you turn 18, which makes gaining rating points harder,” she explained.
• Sponsorship Plea: Noshin noted that tournament opportunities are scarce in Bangladesh. Playing in Europe (Hungary, Spain) offers a better chance to raise her rating, but the cost is substantial. “What I earn from the Navy is enough to support my family. I urgently need external sponsorship to play abroad,” she concluded.
