Reigning champion International Master Enamul Hossain Rajib, however, got off to a great start when he defeated contender IM Abdullah Al Rakib in one of the seven games at the NSC chess hall-room.

Nine qualifiers and five automatic choices are participating in the meet. This year, the championship is being treated as a Grandmasters event with the participants eligible for GM and IM norms.

In other matches, GM Reefat Bin Sattar beat Abdul Maleq, FIDE Master Abu Sufian Shakil beat FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed, FM Aminul Islam beat Mohammed Javed, FM Taibur Rahman shared points with national junior champion Minhazuddin Ahmed Sagar and FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman Emon beat Mohammad Ali.