FM Amer Karim Reclaims his Title

The CFP 34th National Men Chess Championship and CFP 9th Women Chess Championship successfully happened from July 11th - 16th 2026 at Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi. The event gathered leading chess players across all provinces of Pakistan featuring 11 rounds under Swiss System Men’s championship and 8 rounds in the Women’s Chess Championship 

FM Amer Claims Championship Title for the Second Time

The main highlight of the event was the performance by Amer Karim from Punjab who proved that why he’s regarded as one of the finest chess players of Pakistan and reclaimed his championship title once again after winning his first title in 2022 by delivering an outstanding performance and scoring 9.5 Points in the total of 11 Rounds further cementing his legacy.

With 40 years of experience in professional chess he remained unbeaten throughout the event winning a total of 8 games and drawing 3 against Muhammad Khurram Qureshi, Muhammad Zain, and Muhammad Ayoub.

He began the event confidently, securing four consecutive victories against Farhat Mahmood, Kamran, Anish, and Syed Saad, setting the tone for the tournament. Amer explained that his toughest encounter came against Mafaaz Khalid while his final round against Muhammad Ayoub got him the Championship title.

Khurram Qureshi Finishes Second

Khurram Qureshi claimed the Silver Medal and finished as a runner up with 8 out of 11 Points. He represented Sindh beautifully and remained unbeaten throughout his campaign featuring 5 victories and 6 draws including an important draw against second time championship winner FM Amer Karim.

The championship opened for him with four consecutive victories over Muhammad Iqtedar, Muhammad Umar, Rehan Khan, and Syed Zain followed by four back to back draws before playing the final round he strengthen his position by defeating Mafaaz khalid before signing off officially with a final round draw against Kamran Fardad.

Muhammad Ayoub Secures Third Place

Muhammad Ayoub from Balochistan secured third place despite having a tough start to the tournament as he faced defeat in the opening round by Muhammad Shaiman. He remained resilient despite a loss and crucial victories before Amin Khan, Farhat Jafri, and Raif Jafri.

The third place winner then held FM Amer for a draw playing a significant role in the final standings of the event.

Strong Performances by Sindh Players

During the championship, Sindh players proved themselves by delivering strong performances.

Raif jafri finished in 15th place with 7 Points, suffering only two losses against Mafaaz Khalid and Muhammad Ayoub. His few victories included wins over Zillal Shakeel, Muhammad Abdullah and Amish Kumar.

At the same time Tayyab Ali concluded the championship in 22nd place with 6.5 points including 5 victories, 3 losses and 3 draws. He was defeated by Anas, Muhammad Sohail, and Muhammad Hassan while his victories came against Ali, Yousuf, and Daniyal Lukhesar.

Young Performers

While experienced players dominated the championship, the performances by young chess talent of Pakistan were impressive and many of them finished among the top performers of the event.

Among the young performers one of the leading one was Ahsan Feroz from Sindh who finished while being in the top 10 players secured 7th place with 7 points at the age of just 15.

Remaining standout performances by young players was delivered by

Muhammad Zain 9th place with 7 points

Syed Muhriz (Sindh) 7 points

Abu Bakar Vohra (Sindh) 6.5 points

Rehan Khan (Balochistan) 6.5 points

Syed Zayaan (Sindh) 5.5 points

Faiz (Islamabad) 5.5 points

Muhammad Chaudhry (Punjab) 5.5 points 

These results reflect the steady growth of chess in Pakistan and give the indication that the future of chess is very bright in Pakistan and we’re not very far in producing our first Grandmaster within our country.

Hafiza Mashal Dominates the Women’s Championship

The Women’s Chess Champion title belongs to Hafiza Mashal, who delivered a flawless performance during the event finishing with a perfect score out of 8 out of 8 Points. She remained unbeaten during the event showcasing great skills against every opponent.

Her campaigns include victories over Naira, Mysha, Ayat Asmi, Zainab, Maheerah, Minaal, Rumaysa, and Mehak leaving no doubt regarding her dominance in the event.

Ayat Asmi finished as a runner up with 6.5 points. She began the tournament securing his consecutive two victories against Huda and Manaal before suffering his only loss against Hafiza Mashal finishing the remaining rounds without any loss, drawing his only draw against Mehak in Round 7.

Among the promising young performers were Huda (Sindh), who finished 4th with 5.5 points at the age of 17, S. Minahil from Punjab, who secured 7th place with 5 points at 16 years old, and Maheerah (Sindh), who finished 8th with 4.5 points, also at 16 years of age.

National’s that Reflects the Future of Chess in Pakistan

With outstanding performances in Nationals from players all across Pakistan, the championship has been concluded successfully making it clear that the future of chess is very bright in Pakistan, especially considering the fact that young players under the age of 18 are leaving their mark in every event. Experienced players are setting high standards day by day while young stars are closing the gap making their effort to make Pakistan rank in top countries that are promoting Chess.

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