Khusbu clinches FIDE crown after dramatic tie-break finish

Warsia Khusbu stormed to the title in the Begum Laila Alam International FIDE Rating Women’s Chess Tournament 2026 on Tuesday, edging a thrilling tie-break finish at the Bangladesh Chess Federation (BCF) hall.

Neelava Choudhury finished runner-up with the same score, while Israt Jahan Diba and Rani Hamid emerged third and fourth, respectively, following tie-break calculations.

Khusbu held her nerve in the final round, drawing against Neelava, while Rani outplayed Jinnat Akter and Diba secured victory over Walijah Ahmed to keep the title race wide open until the very end.

The Woman FIDE Master, however, sealed the crown with 5.5 points from seven rounds, coming out on top after a tense four-way tie at the summit.

In the chasing pack, Nusrat Jahan Alo finished fifth with five points, followed by Nazrana Khan Eva in sixth and Tasnia Tarannum Orpa in seventh.

A total of 39 players competed in the seven-round Swiss league event, showcasing the growing depth of women’s chess in Bangladesh.

The tournament, organised by the BCF and sponsored by Begum Laila Alam, carried a prize pool of Tk104,000.

The champion pocketed Tk20,000, while the runner-up and third-place finishers earned Tk15,000 and Tk10,000, respectively.