Rani Hamid, a pioneering figure in Bangladesh’s chess scene, stands as an emblem of resilience and excellence.
With a occupation spanning over four a protracted time, Hamid’s contributions to the sport are unparalleled. Because the principle Bangladeshi girl to carry out the prestigious Lady Global Master (WIM) title in 1985, she has paved the model for future generations of chess avid gamers, in particular females. Her achievements on the nationwide stage are equally impressive, boasting 20 Bangladesh Nationwide Females’s Championship titles. Internationally, Hamid has shone brightly, claiming the British Females’s Chess Championship three instances and winning the Commonwealth Chess Gold Medal in 2017.
Right via her stride, Hamid has remained a dominant force, even at the age of 81. She most no longer too prolonged prior to now showcased her enduring prowess at the forty fifth Chess Olympiad in Budapest, the effect she secured six consecutive wins after lacking the preliminary three rounds, extra cementing her legacy as conception to be one of the best chess avid gamers to emerge from Bangladesh. Her affect extends beyond the chessboard, serving as an inspiration for young abilities and a testament to the strength of perseverance.
In an new interview with The Enterprise Novel Rani Hamid talks in regards to the challenges she confronted, the efficiency of the Bangladesh team, the shortcoming of recognition for chess avid gamers and the newest enlighten of Bangladesh’s chess development.
How used to be your total skills at the no longer too prolonged prior to now concluded Chess Olympiad?
To be correct, it wasn’t very varied from my outdated experiences in the Olympiad. On the opposite hand, I encountered some visa-linked disorders earlier than leaving Bangladesh for Budapest. The embassy requested documents, at the side of passports from all my previous Olympiad participations. Since all these documents were rather archaic, I could no longer buy all of them, which resulted in needless danger, in particular earlier than this kind of main tournament. Once I arrived in Budapest, the visa used to be authorised at as soon as attributable to I am a competitive player. Sadly, the strategy abet in Bangladesh fervent a ways too many formalities earlier than this kind of genuinely crucial tournament.
What are your ideas in your and your team’s efficiency all the draw via the tournament?
Overall, I used to be rather pleased with my have efficiency. Fortuitously, I did no longer procure too many errors all the draw via the suits. In high-stress eventualities like these, it’s a ways uncomplicated to procure blunders from advantageous positions, but that did no longer happen this time. As for the team, I suspect we skilled some bad luck in definite suits. To illustrate, in a match against Belgium, both Nusrat Jahan Alo and Wadifa Ahmed had winning positions but made extreme errors, leading to losses. Even supposing we may maybe per chance maybe well managed a entice a model of video games, we are in a position to also believe won the match, and our total ranking also can believe positioned us in the pinnacle 50. However it indisputably’s segment of the sport; these errors also can with out complications had been mine in the heat of the second.
How form you protect your skillset to compete at this kind of high level at this age?
It comes naturally in spite of all the pieces these years. I form no longer apply as mighty as I outdated to, but we are in a position to also believe benefited from taking part in in about a tournaments earlier than this tournament. Sadly, as a consequence of the newest political unrest and total conditions in the country, we did no longer procure the opportunity to participate in any preparatory tournaments. We also couldn’t practise on-line attributable to of net blackouts. So, by system of preparation, there were no doubt some shortcomings.
After watching your opponents, form you’re feeling that Bangladesh chess avid gamers lack red meat up from the Federation?
Or no longer it’s arduous to declare exactly what model of products and services avid gamers from varied countries rep, as I did no longer believe detailed discussions with them. Domestically, however, I do know that institutions just like the Police, Ansar, and Navy are doing rather properly in creating avid gamers by providing correct products and services and training, but these advantages are on the total reserved for folks with essential potential. Or no longer it’s a correct birth, but we unruffled believe a prolonged system to transfer.
What’s your conception on Grandmaster Enamul Hossain Razib giving a walkover to his opponent against Israel?
Every person has their have level of view. As avid gamers, we’re there to command our country and form our most productive in every match. I am no longer definite how correct or contaminated Razib’s decision used to be—it’s personal and clearly made sense to him at the time. However in my glimpse, our duty is to compete.
India won gold in both lessons of the Chess Olympiad. Lift out you imagine Bangladesh has the potential to reach that level?
The model Bangladesh chess teams for the time being put collectively and play domestically, the outcomes we behold on the area stage are what we request. Infrequently we compose properly, and now and again we form no longer. India did no longer reach this level in a single day. Their success is the consequence of prolonged-timeframe planning, construction, and funding. The seriousness and dedication they’ve shown over newest years procure them deserving winners.
To be correct, the newest generation of avid gamers are rather lucky. They’ve procure entry to to pictures of suits between world champions, which we did no longer believe after we began out. If the young avid gamers who are for the time being competing—or these creating—take the sport extra critically, I imagine Bangladesh can compose properly internationally. On the opposite hand, correct now, we continually play for enjoyable rather than with a clear aim in ideas, and this mentality extends to our federation leaders as properly.
The gaps between domestic tournaments are gargantuan, now and again lasting for months. Naturally, to be successful, we would like extra tournaments, even at the district level, to present avid gamers across the country broader procure entry to. To my data, the federation is working to fabricate young abilities like Neer, and we will behold in about a years whether their efforts pay off.
What advice would you give to the 14-year-archaic prodigy Manon Reza Neer to again him navigate his occupation and upward push on this planet of chess? How form we behold extra avid gamers like him?
Mashallah, he is doing exceptionally properly for his age. He is a beacon of hope for Bangladesh’s chess circuit, and I imagine if he continues on this direction, he’ll produce big things and bring honour to both himself and the country. If truth be told, I suspect he takes part in in a tournament correct now. On the opposite hand, I am upset by the shortcoming of media coverage for events like these. Newspapers and TV channels essentially level of interest on cricket and soccer, whereas nationwide-level chess tournaments rep little to no level out.
Young avid gamers like Neer want and deserve recognition to assign motivated. With out satisfactory recognition for his or her efforts, how form we request extra young avid gamers to pursue chess as a main occupation?
