Zaman Sohail of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Punjab’s Fareeha Siddiq emerged as the champions in the men’s and women’s categories of the National Chess Championship, held at the Pakistan Sports Complex.

Organised by the Chess Federation of Pakistan, the tournament featured more than 250 players from across the country competing in multiple categories. The event highlighted a high standard of play, with participants demonstrating skill, strategy, and competitive spirit throughout the championship.

In the 34th National Men’s Chess Championship, Zaman Sohail secured the title with an impressive tally of five points in the final round. Punjab’s M. Zorais Shabkhez finished as runner-up with 4.5 points, while HEC’s A.R. Akhtar also scored 4.5 points and claimed third place on the basis of tiebreak.

Meanwhile, in the 10th Women’s National Chess Championship, Fareeha Siddiq delivered a remarkable unbeaten performance to clinch the title with 10.5 points. Zainabia Wasif finished second with nine points, while Javeria secured third position with eight points.

The closing ceremony was attended by Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry as chief guest. Other dignitaries included Wajeeha Qamar, Rana Ahsan Afzal, Mohyuddin Wani, Syed Zeeshan Naqvi, Raja Gohar Iqbal, and Afzal Butt, among others, who praised the players and organisers for promoting chess in Pakistan.