Allegiance to Zayed Chess Championship

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29 Countries over the Board

Allegiance to Zayed Chess Championship

Dubai Chess & Culture Club Ramadan Tournaments

The Ramadan activities gem, the “Allegiance to Zayed 2024” chess championship, commenced on Tuesday evening at 9:30 PM, organized by the Dubai Chess and Culture Club as part of its annual events. This championship pays homage to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with matches scheduled from March 12th to 14th, featuring prominent international masters, players from Europe, Asia, and Africa representing 29 countries. The championship attracted 174 participants prior to its inauguration.

Saeed Yousuf Shakry, the General Secretary of the Dubai Chess and Culture Club, led Opening ceremony of the tournament alongside Othman Mousa, the Technical Director, and Mohamed Al-Husseini, the Executive Director. The opening match featured top-ranked player Amonatov Farrukh from Tajikistan against Emirati player Sultan Jabir Alzaroonii, in the presence of sports leaders and chess clubs’ representatives, signaling the tournament’s start at the Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan Hall in the club.

UAE Stars Shine Among Elite Players

This year’s tournament sees a lineup of international players, UAE nationals, residents, chess clubs in UAE, and community clubs, led by international grandmasters such as Amunatov Farouk from Tajikistan, Mchedlishvili Mikheil from Georgia, Magerramov Elmar from Azerbaijan, Miladinovic Igor from Serbia, Iordachescu Viorel from Moldova, Zubarev Alexander from Ukraine, and Barsov Alexei from Uzbekistan. Joining them international and Arab chess masters, including Filipino international master Dimakiling Oliver, Egyptian international master Farahat Ali, and Moroccan El Adnani Mokliss, alongside UAE distinguished players from the Dubai Chess and Culture Club Academy and community clubs.

Allegiance to Zayed Sets the Pace, Followed by Rapid Chess Team Championship

The club announced that Allegiance to Zayed championship, the activity gem during the holy month of Ramadan, enjoys significant participation from chess clubs in UAE, community clubs, trainers, titleholders, and internationally ranked players. Additionally, the club will organize the Blitz Team Chess Championship, expecting participation from state chess clubs, community clubs, corporate teams, marking its ninth edition within the club’s Ramadan activities, following its remarkable success in the previous eight editions.

Outstanding Participation of Female Players

Allegiance to Zayed championship witnesses remarkable participation from girls and women, including stars from the UAE national team, Dubai Chess Club players, and players from community clubs residing in UAE, such as the Filipino club, Indian community club, and various Arab community clubs, with Emirati international Mehdi Abdul Rahim leading the tournament as Chief Arbiter, assisted by a team of international and local Arbiters residing in the country.