IUB's Amit puts on a stunning show to qualify for top national Chess tournament

Amit Bikram Roy, member of the IUB ARROWS Program and an 8th-semester student from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), has pulled off a stunning comeback to qualify for the prestigious National A Chess Championship and earning him a place in the top 30 chess players in the country.

His journey involved a series of impressive performances over the last few weeks, starting with the District Qualifier, followed by a 3rd-place finish in the National Preliminary, and culminating in a stellar comeback at the National B Championship, finishing in the 11th position, reads a press release.

The National B was held at the National Sports Council in Purana Paltan, Dhaka from 7-15 June.

Despite a rocky start in the National B with two consecutive losses, Amit made a remarkable recovery. He defeated two Candidate Masters, two FIDE Masters, and drew with an International Master, securing his place in the National A, scheduled to be held on 23 June to 8 July at the same venue. 

In National A, which is the apex chess tournament of the country, Amit will face off against some of the finest Grandmasters. Over the past six months, he has increased his rating by 276 points, bringing his current rating to 2,054 and placing him among the top 30 players in Bangladesh.

Reflecting on his journey, Amit shared, "I have played more than 40 classical games over a span of 30 days, which left me exhausted at the start of the tournament. After losing the first two games, I stopped caring about the result and focused solely on making good moves. Then the magic happened. Despite the good results, I have many areas to improve. I need to compete in strong open tournaments outside of Bangladesh. Qualifying for National A is just the beginning; I aim to perform well against the top players in the country."

He also said, "I lack experience, and it was evident in the first few games. I am so happy and feel lucky to have legendary Grandmaster Niaz Murshed as my mentor. I also want to thank my family and IUB's Division of Student Activities [DoSA] for their constant support and belief in me."

Looking ahead, Amit has his sights set on the Olympiad team of Bangladesh, which will compete in Hungary later this year. To achieve this, he needs to finish in the top 5 at the National A Championship. As the lowest seed, he faces a tough challenge against the best players in Bangladesh. However, given his recent miraculous performances, there is reason to hope for another outstanding achievement from this young talent.