Ziaur Rahman regained the national chess crown yesterday when the Grand Master defeated FIDE Master Mohammed Javed after 30 moves in the final round at the Chess Federation hall-room to win the 32nd National Chess Championship.

Zia finished with 11 points from 12 games for his tenth national title while International Master Enamul Hossain Rajib settled for runner-up with ten points also after 12 games.

Most of the players had toplay 12 games in the 13-round competition following the withdrawal of GM Niaz Murshed early into the meet

Rajib, who defeated GM Reefat Bin Sattar, notched a 9-game norm to complete all three grandmaster norms and can apply for the GM title to world chess body FIDE. FIDE Masters Abu Sufian Shakil and Minhajuddin Ahmed Sagar earned 12-game IM norms, their first, from the event.

Outgoing champion GM Abdullah Al Rakib clinched third place with 9.5 points while Shakil and Sagar, level on nine points, will take part in a play-off for the fourth and fifth places.

Rcefat's 6.5 points placed him at sixth, followed by FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed (5 points), FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman Emon (4.5), FM Abdul Malek (4), FM Mohammed Javed (4), Debaraj Chatterjee (3), Monir Hossain (2.5), Pritam Prijam (2.5) and GM Niaz Murshcd, who got 0.5 points from two games.