Bangladeshi chess player Wadifa Ahmed has become the women’s champion at the Asian Zonal Chess Championship in Colombo, Sri Lanka, earning her place in the Women’s Chess World Cup in Georgia this July. With this victory, she also attained the Women’s International Master (WIM) title, making her the fourth Bangladeshi woman to achieve this honour.
Wadifa’s current rating of 2091 meets the required 2000 rating for the WIM title. She follows in the footsteps of Rani Hamid (1985), Shamima Sultana Liza, and Shirin Sultana, who previously held this title. The tenth-grade student now aspires to become Bangladesh’s first Women’s Grandmaster (WGM).
Her elder sister, Waliza Ahmed, is also a chess champion. While Waliza is still in the race for the WIM title, Wadifa expressed confidence that her sister would soon achieve it as well. Previously unable to participate in the Junior World Cup due to visa issues, Wadifa is now preparing for the Women’s Chess World Cup, marking a major milestone in her career.