Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – The 31st edition of the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival will kick off from August 15 to 24. It is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Nahyan is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Works and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
The event will be attended by 3,000 male and female players from 82 countries. It is organized by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club. The Abu Dhabi Sports Council supervises the event at the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi. There are prizes worth AED 500,000.
The festival’s activities include 27 tournaments covering different age groups and artistic levels. These are led by the Masters Championship. Additionally, there are 3 new mental competitions: checkers, dominoes, and random chess.
The festival will witness the participation of the most prominent champions of the Emirates. These include Omran Al Hosani, Rawda Issa Al Sarkal, Ammar Al Sidrani, Ahlam Rashid, Abdul Rahman Al Taher, and Hamad Al Kaf. There is also an elite group of world champions. They are led by the first seed in the Masters Championship, Sinan Sugirov, and the second seed, Arkady Nidesh.
His Excellency Arif Hamad Al Awani, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said that the continuation of the festival over more than 3 decades confirms its position. It remains one of the most prominent global events in chess and mind games. This reflects the trust and status the festival enjoys.
He explained that the great turnout to participate in the festival enhances Abu Dhabi’s role as a major station on the global sports map. This serves as a culmination of the great support from the wise leadership. Additionally, the directives of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan enabled the festival to develop and grow. Consequently, it is a distinguished platform for discovering talents. This refines the capabilities of local players. The festival also enhances cultural and sports exchange between peoples.
For his part, Hussein Abdullah Al-Khoury, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, confirmed that the festival has become one of the most important events on the international chess map. It witnesses a large turnout from the elite first-class players in the world.
