Pakistan has won the Category D gold medal at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The Pakistan Open team finished first in Category D after securing 12 match points and 162 game points during the tournament.
Pakistan also improved its overall position by 29 places, finishing 95th after starting the competition ranked 124th.
The team recorded five victories, two draws and four defeats during its 11-round campaign.
Pakistan defeated Seychelles, San Marino, the Cayman Islands, El Salvador and Sudan. The team drew against Egypt and Yemen but lost to Israel, Colombia, Zambia and South Africa.
The five-member Pakistani squad included FM Muhammad Waqar, FM Amer Karim, CM Mafaaz Khalid, Zaman Sohail and Zorez Shabkhez.
Amer Karim emerged as Pakistan’s leading individual scorer with six points from 11 games. Zaman Sohail and Zorez Shabkhez also delivered strong performances during the tournament.
The Chess Olympiad is held every two years and brings together teams from around the world.
Chess Federation of Pakistan President Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi congratulated the players and praised their determination and fighting spirit.
The achievement is expected to provide fresh momentum for chess in Pakistan and encourage more young players to pursue the sport at competitive levels.
