iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
The new International & National Amateur Golf Championships will bring together UAE National golfers and amateurs from the Asia-Pacific and Arab Golf Federations
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Hundreds of UAE children in training as chess club aims to produce next grandmasters
Founded in 1979, the Abu Dhabi Chess Club and Mind Games has been promoting the sport in schools and the broader community
Photos: Ashwani Kumar / KT
A chess club in Abu Dhabi is nurturing young talent with a goal to hone the UAE's next grandmasters.
Founded in 1979, the Abu Dhabi Chess Club and Mind Games has been promoting the sport in schools and the broader community.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
“We have attracted more than 600 players from various nationalities to the club,” Hussein Abdullah Al Khouri, chairman of the club, told Khaleej Times during the 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival.
The club is looking to develop a new generation of chess players, he said.
“Currently, grandmaster Salem Abdulrahman Mohamed Saleh is the UAE’s No. 1 player,” he said, referring to Saleh, a UAE national and a Sharjah Cultural Chess Club player.
"We aim to have two to three grandmasters by the time we host the Chess Olympiad in Abu Dhabi in 2028."
Al Khouri said the Abu Dhabi club’s coaches are training hundreds of children, leading to a significant increase in Emirati players and multiple tournament victories.
“Things have been improving. It’s an easy game for parents to access and it is affordable. You can even play on your smartphone. It’s time for the new generation.”
Major chess festival
Over the years, the club has undertaken various initiatives to tap into young talent. In 1991, it established the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival to provide a competitive platform for young players.
The festival quickly gained international acclaim, and by 1996, it included an international masters’ tournament. Currently, it stands among Asia’s and the Middle East’s premier chess tournaments with a record participation of more than 2,200 players from 82 countries competing in more than 27 tournaments for a prize pool of Dh450,000 in this edition. The 27 tournament categories include international masters, open, junior, blitz, events for people of determination, families, ladies, seniors, academies, communities, government departments, and educational institutions. Several Emirati players are in the fray across different categories.
About 100 schools are in the fray at this edition, and for the first time, an online tournament has been introduced as well.
Hussein Abdullah Al Khouri
Al Khouri emphasised the continuous support from UAE leadership and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, which has helped place the festival on the global chess map.
“Today, the Abu Dhabi chess festival is one of the milestones across the FIDE (International Chess Federation) calendar. This edition has attracted many international players,” he said as 60 grandmasters vie for supremacy at the festival, which concludes on Sunday.
This week, Abu Dhabi will also host the FIDE centenary celebrations, with federation president Arkady Dvorkovich in attendance.
ALSO READ:
More news from Sports
Their haul of 22 gold medals and 82 overall in Paris is even more impressive given the death and destruction since Russia invaded in February 2022
India won 29 medals, including seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze medals, the most by the country in the history of the competition
Rice symbolised the freedom provided by 'Carsball' as he was allowed to advance far further forward than at the Euros
Mainly packed stadia, iconic venues and the feelgood factor derived from the Olympics that came before them turned the Paralympics into a festival of sport
The tournament featuring 12 corporate teams will allow local talents to showcase their skills in the 100-ball format
Left with a depleted attack, Afghanistan have named three uncapped players
This US Open was the first Grand Slam Sabalenka had won since the death of her former boyfriend in March