Thinley Namgay    

The national women’s team won hearts of many Bhutanese and international audience as they thrashed South Sudan 4-0 yesterday in  one of the highly rated games. 

The men’s team suffered a 3.5: 0.5 loss against Mali. Ugyen Wangchuk managed a draw and fetched half a point for Bhutan. This is the third consecutive loss for the men’s team. 

Officials said that the games which began at 3pm lasted for more than five hours which showed the intense competition the team had undergone yesterday. 

The men’s team also lost to Gambia by 1:3 yesterday, and the women’s team  lost 1:3 against Palau. In the men’s category, Bhakta Bahadur Monger defeated his opponent Qusainou Garber who is a candidate master.  In the women’s team event, Sonam Choden defeated Rosemarie Wag-eyen.   

Officials said the women’s team have been performing well and that there was a high possibility to face a strong team in their last game today.  

On August 7, both teams conceded defeat after a tough fight against seasoned and high-rated teams. The men’s team lost with a score of 0:4 against Malawi and the women’s team lost by 1:3 against Eswatini. Sonam Choden was the lone winner and it was her fifth consecutive win.   

Officials said that the men’s team had been consistently facing tough teams but they were working hard and trying their best so far.  

The team comprising 10 chess players and two team captains from the Bhutan Chess Federation is in Chennai since July 27.