Exclusive: There could soon be a top chess contender from the Arab world, says Anand

Viswanathan Anand has fond memories of playing in the UAE as a youngster, when he featured in the World Juniors in Sharjah back in 1985 and the Dubai Olympiad in 1986.

And Anand, now 53, believes the world’s first franchise-based chess league — the Global Chess League (GCL) will produce some top talent from the UAE and the Arab world.

“I played the Dubai Olympiad back in 1986. I played the World Juniors in Sharjah in 1985. So, my association with tournaments organised here, goes back a very, very long way. So, in that sense, Dubai has always seen itself as a host, the meeting point, and that's why it's also became the perfect location for the league,” Anand told the Khaleej Times.

The 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, last year, witnessed a number of Arab teams compete.

Anand, who is now the deputy president of Fide, the governing body, said it is only a matter of time before we see a top Arab Grandmaster compete in the World Championship.