Manon Reza Neer's remarkable victories over grandmasters light up World Rapid Chess

Bangladesh's International Master, Manon Reza Neer, has made a remarkable impression at the World Rapid Chess Championship in New York, defeating two highly ranked grandmasters in the early stages of the tournament.

In the fifth round on 27 December, Manon triumphed over Austria's Grandmaster Horvath Dominic, and the following day, in the ninth round, he secured another impressive win against Germany's Grandmaster Denis Wagner. These victories have placed Manon 151st out of 180 players in the open division, marking a promising start for the Bangladeshi chess prodigy.

Manon, who has accumulated 3.5 points from nine matches, is competing in the World Rapid Chess Championship for the first time. Alongside him, Bangladesh's women's champion, Noshin Anzum, is representing the country in the women's division. Noshin has earned 2.5 points from eight matches, ranking 101st out of 110 participants.

Manon's journey in the tournament has not been without its challenges. In the first three rounds, he suffered losses to Russia's Grandmaster Nesterov Arseny, China's International Master Lou Yiping, and Denmark's Grandmaster Andersen Mads. However, he drew with Zimbabwe's International Master Yurazayev Makoto Roadwell in the fourth round, before his two sensational victories.

In the women's category, Noshin faced tough competition in the early rounds. She lost to the United States' Women Grandmaster Yui Jennifer, Kazakhstan's Women Grandmaster Balabaeva Jenia, and Kazakhstan's Women FIDE Master Nurgaliyeva Zarina. But she bounced back with a solid win in the fourth round, defeating Uganda's Naisanga Shiba Valentine.

The tournament is currently underway with 134 Grandmasters and 32 International Masters from 56 countries in the open division, and 21 Grandmasters, 23 Women Grandmasters, 36 International Masters, and 10 Women International Masters from 35 countries in the women's category. The World Rapid Chess Championship will conclude today, with the Blitz Chess Championship scheduled to begin at the same venue tomorrow.