GM Pouya Idani (pictured above) and WFM Anahita Zahedifar, both representing Iran, emerged as the winners of the Zone 3.1 Men’s and Women’s Zonals held from April 8–15, 2025, in Erbil, Iraq.
The open event, a 9-round Swiss tournament featuring 46 players from 10 federations, turned into a close race between Pouya Idani and Bardiya Daneshvar. The two Iranian Grandmasters, who entered as the top two seeds, lived up to expectations by tying for first place with 8.5 points each. Idani clinched the title thanks to superior tiebreaks based on the average rating of his opponents. Both players qualified for the FIDE World Cup 2025.
The women’s section saw twenty participants from six countries: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and host nation Iraq. Anahita Zahedifar (pictured above) secured victory with a strong 7.5/9 score, finishing half a point ahead of fellow Iranians Tannaz Azali and Anousha Mahdian, who shared second place. With this result, Zahedifar qualifies for the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025.
Photos: asianchess.com/