Ziaur Rahman (1974-2024)

News broke on Friday night of the passing of leading Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman while he was participating in the national chess championship of his home country. He collapsed at the table in the middle of a chess game, was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Initially, the suspected cause of death was cardiac arrest, but it has now been confirmed that he suffered a massive stroke or brain attack. Ziaur was 50 years old and is survived by his son, Tahsin Tajwar Zia, a Fide Master. 

Born in 1974, Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman won the title of International Master in 1993 and became the second grandmaster of Bangladesh in 2002. He achieved the highest rating among Bangladeshi chess players, peaking at 2570. Ziaur Rahman first became their National Chess Champion in 1988 and went on to win this title a record 14 times, outshining the combined 16 wins of the remaining four Bangladeshi Grandmasters.

Ziaur Rahman was well-known in Malaysian chess circles, having played in several tournaments here. His last appearance, alongside his son, was at last year's Penang Heritage City Open Chess Tournament. Older chess players might remember him as the grandmaster coach briefly appointed by the Malaysian Chess Federation in 2010. I wrote about Ziaur back then when I was still the freelancing chess columnist for The Star newspaper.

LEISURE STARTWO Friday,.26 February 2010

Resident grandmaster 

- by QUAH SENG SUN -

Chess development in the country will be given a boost with the arrival of Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman.

THERE are a number of interesting chess activities coming up in the next two or three weeks.

First up is the news that we shall have Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman stationed here in Malaysia for the next one year. Ziaur is Bangladesh’s second grandmaster and the leading player in his country at present. He is expected to arrive on our shores sometime next week and will be based at the Datuk Arthur Tan Chess Centre (DATCC) in Kuala Lumpur.

Why would we need a foreign grandmaster here in Malaysia? Well, it is to boost chess development in the country. We need someone who is experienced enough to be a catalyst to raise our game. Ziaur happened to be available and he was interested in the challenge.

Moreover, he comes with good credentials. He is an active player in the regional chess circuit so he’s not one to rest on his laurels. He led Bangladesh at the Asian team chess championship in Kolkata last December, took part in an international chess event in Delhi in January, and made an impressive second-place finish in the Chennai open chess tournament this month.

Ziaur’s international rating of 2548 is high enough to suit Malaysia’s needs. We don’t need a super-GM here but we do need a professional who is strong enough to impart his knowledge and experience to our players.

Ziaur is a trainer at the Gary Kasparov School of Chess in Bangladesh and was the coach of the Bangladesh national women's chess team, He has trained many junior players in his homeland and neighbouring India, and counts Sayantan Das, the current under-12 world chess champion who recently secured his first international master norm, as a notable student.

A comprehensive programme has been prepared to make full use of him during his time here. There will be various events and tournaments featuring Ziaur as the main man, with seminars and classes, including trips to reach out to all corners of the country.

Some of the activities planned will be individual chess sessions for serious players who want to improve their skill and understanding of the game, and group classes covering topics such as preparations for tournaments, opening, middle game and endgame techniques.

He'll be giving chess seminars and training to suit all manner of chess enthusiasts, including parents, supporters, officials and organisers.

Ziaur will be available to take part in local chess tournaments and I hear that there'll be monthly rapid chess events and quarterly Fide-rated tournaments. He will also be available for outstation trips, so state chess associations and clubs can arrange for him to visit them.

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