Budapest, Sep 20 (V7N) – Rani Hamid continued her impressive streak at the 45th Chess Olympiad 2024, triumphing over a higher-ranked Swedish opponent. The 80-year-old chess veteran secured her fifth consecutive win, contributing significantly to the Bangladesh women's team's success in Budapest.

In the eighth round, the Bangladesh women’s team defeated Sweden with a score of 2.5-1.5. Rani and Nusrat Jahan Alo achieved victories against Margarita Zaritovskaja and Inna Agrest, respectively. Meanwhile, Wadifa Ahmed managed a draw with Anna Cramling, while Walijah Ahmed faced a loss against Pia Cramling.

This victory marks the third straight win for the Bangladesh women’s team, following previous triumphs against Uruguay and the Dominican Republic. However, the open section team faced a setback, losing to Kazakhstan by 3-1 points.

Looking ahead, the women's team will compete against Argentina, while the open team is set to face Lebanon in the ninth round on Friday.

Rani Hamid has maintained a perfect record in the ongoing Olympiad, winning all three of her matches so far. Her remarkable journey includes victories against various opponents, including a crucial win against Botswana in the fifth round, which helped Bangladesh secure a draw.

In the sixth round, Rani triumphed over Caterina Altesor of Uruguay, leading the women’s team to a dominant 3.5-0.5 victory. Walijah and Wadifa Ahmed also contributed to the win, while Noshin Anjum secured a draw against Andreina Quevedo.

In the open section, alongside Niaz Murshed's notable win against Hungarian GM Gabor Papp, International Master Mohammad Fahad Rahman and GM Enamul Hossain Razib both achieved draws against their Hungarian opponents. However, young FIDE Master Manon Reja Neer lost his match against Tamas Banusz.

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