KARACHI, April 24: There were two major upsets on the first day of the 26th National Chess championship on Thursday, being held at a local hotel in Karachi.

National Master (NM), Rahat Ali was beaten by Babar Butt while NM Hafeez Bajwa was beaten by Wahab Ahmed in the second upset of the day.

In yet another surprising result, the reigning Queen of the women’s chess championship, Zenobia Wasif lost to Prince Jamil.

Meanwhile Pakistan’s two top International Masters Mahmood Khan Lodhi and Shehzad Mirza got off to a winning start in their respective matches.

Mahmood Lodhi, one of the most prominent players of Pakistan who has won the title a record no of 11 times forced Jahangir Ahmed of Sindh to resign after 40 moves while playing with white pieces.Lodhi who hails from Gujranwalla started with Queen Gambit opening, kept his opponent under pressure with attacking tactics and strong defence to clinch full one point.

Shehzad Mirza of PIA started with Queen Finchtto opening, took 30 moves before beating Kamran Ayub from NWFP.

Former National Champion, Aamir Karim of NWFP, who finished third in the last championship took 42 moves before overpowering Muhammad Ishaq from Punjab.

National Master, Haseeb Ahmed, representing Pakistan Police, started with queen-pawn opening to defeat Muhammad Farhan of Sindh after 31 moves.

The defending champion Tanvir Gilani of

Wapda is presently indisposed and not playing in the event.

A total of top 90 players from the country are vying for honours in the 11-round competition.

Results: IM Mehmood Lodhi bt Jehangir Ahmed, IM Shahzad Mirza bt Kamran Ayub, NM Amir Karim bt Mohammad Ishaq, Haseeb Ahmed bt Mohammad Farhan

Shahzad Alam bt Jamil Mughal, NM Wasim Akhtar bt Rasheed Hussain, Babar Butt bt NM Rahat Ali , Wahab Ahmed bt NM Hafeez Bajwa, NM Yunus drew with Ali Madad, and NM Khalid Ashraf drew with Waqar NM.