The Bobby Fischer-Boris Spassky match led to a sudden increase in the popularity of chess, less than a year after independence, said Niaz Murshed.
A kid of five and half years old at that time, he recalled how that World Championship fight had an impact on his locality where chess was booming.
“I remember chess being played in our area when the Fischer-Spassky match took place in 1972. It increased the popularity of chess. It was at that time, I got introduced with this sport,” Niaz told Dhaka Tribune.
Niaz took his first chess lessons from his elder brother – Mahbub Murshed, who used to play with the others in the Eskaton area, Dhaka.
He too started playing. He was the youngest in Eskaton’s chess group.
Getting love and care as a kid from the neighbours like national chess player Farhad Ahmed and Jamilur Rahman, Niaz continued to thrive.
“I’m indebted to Farhad bhai. He used to bring chess books from abroad. He read those and explained to me. He taught me a lot,” said Niaz during the interview at his house in the capital’s Bashundhara Residential Area.
Many started noticing the chess prodigy. The kid played with the uncles and beat them often. One day, a friend of his brother visited their locality.
“He was a national chess player. He played a game with me and said I played very well and that I should try in the national meet,” he recalled.
In the same year, 1975, Niaz took part in the national chess qualifiers. He didn’t qualify but it was not all that bad a display as he won the first game and drew two out of five.
Niaz made it to the finals of the national chess competition next year.
At that time, eminent writer, statistician and educationalist Kazi Motahar Hossain was a legendary figure in the country’s chess fraternity.
Having come to know about this chess wonder kid, Motahar visited Niaz’s house, played games with him and gave inspiration.
Niaz’s rise in chess was rapid. He finished third in the following national chess and in his third attempt in 1979, he emerged national champion.
He was only 12 years and 11 months old.
“I was the youngest national champion, a world record. There was a Cuban – Jose Raul. He was slightly older than me,” said Niaz.
That news appeared on the front pages of the national dailies. Niaz became a sports star. His educational institution – St. Joseph’s High School – announced a day’s leave to mark the occasion.
Bangladesh hosted Asian Junior Chess in 1981.
By then Niaz had already earned the international master title at the World Chess Championship Zone 9 qualifiers in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, finishing joint second.
In Dhaka, Niaz finished joint top in the overall tally and after a tiebreaker emerged joint runner-up, garnering 66.67% points to prove his international master title was not a flash in the pan.
National sport fortnightly “Krira Jagat” published a cover story on Niaz being the youngest international master in Asia with a big smiling photograph.
He won the national title four times in a row.
In 1982, he toured Europe for the first time to compete in the British Championship, British Open and World Junior Chess in Copenhagen.
In 1983, he passed the matriculation examination and went to Europe again for more tournaments in a bid to achieve grandmaster norms.
He got his first grandmaster norm in Hong Kong at the Commonwealth Championship 1984, followed by the second and final norm in Kolkata in 1986.
Niaz required 24 games for grandmaster title. He played 23. The then Fide (World Chess Federation) president Florencio Campomanes after visiting Dhaka had a chat with federation and got to know about Niaz being one game short.
Nevertheless, Niaz said the president had asked him to apply for the grandmaster title. Niaz applied accordingly and Fide granted him the grandmaster title.
“Many people know that I became grandmaster in 1987 but it is not right,” he said.
“I became grandmaster in 1986 (showing the proof) at the age of 20 but the document and certificate arrived next year. It was made public in 1987. I was the first grandmaster in south Asia and then west Asia zone – from Myanmar to Turkey.”
Niaz became a sports superstar like nobody else. Back then his feat was the top success story among Bangladeshi sportsmen.
It may seem surprising that two giant nearby countries – India and China – had no grandmaster when Niaz got the highest title of chess.
Bangladesh had to wait for a decade and half to get its next grandmaster.
Niaz left the country for studies while waiting for the grandmaster title. He was in the USA from 1986 to 1990 for his graduation program.
After his return home, Niaz was incidentally made the acting general secretary of Bangladesh chess federation for four months. It was his first time organizing. He was also in outstanding form on the chess board in the early 1990s.
Niaz said he wasn’t provided financial support by the federation or national sports council after his return from Europe tour in 1993. Even the cost of plane fare and accommodation couldn’t be arranged for overseas competitions.
Assuming financial uncertainty, Niaz started preparation for the real estate business and got himself engaged there from 1996 to 2002.
The business was successful at the beginning but collapsed later. He left business and came back to chess and still remains active today.
Niaz also worked as organizer in 2004, 2006 and 2010. Recently, he organized two more tournaments, totaling almost a dozen.
He was the chess advisor of Brac University and ULAB. Currently, he is the advisor of Independent University (IUB) chess club.
Since 1984, he represented Bangladesh at eight Chess Olympiads.
The duration of Niaz’s involvement in chess is similar to the age of Bangladesh.
Now, he seeks sponsor to build a chess school – one of his goals.
