30th Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival to Take Place Under Nahyan bin Zayed Patronage

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the 30th Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival is underway and will continue until August 25, 2024. The opening activities for this landmark event are being held at The St. Regis Hotel Abu Dhabi. The festival is organized by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, with support from the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

This year’s festival has achieved a record-breaking participation, with over 2,200 players from 82 countries, surpassing last year’s figures of 1,704 players from 63 countries. To celebrate its 30th edition, the festival has increased the value of the Master Champion award to $30,000, while other award values remain the same.

The event is taking place over ten days across two venues: Radisson Blu Hotel and Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche, and The St. Regis Abu Dhabi. Due to the high number of participants, the festival includes a variety of competitions across different technical levels and age groups. New to this edition are separate championships for government institutions, companies, and schools.

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The festival features 27 distinct events, including International Masters competitions, Open Championships A and B, and various junior and blitz tournaments. Notably, the festival includes new categories such as the Family Team tournament and the Community Teams tournament. Additionally, separate tournaments are organized for People of Determination.

The UAE men’s and women’s teams, along with teams from Qatar, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, and China, are participating in the festival. The matches are being broadcast live on the websites of the International Chess Federation, the Asian and Arab Federations, and specialized chess platforms.

The tournament's refereeing panel includes Emirati international referees Saeed Ahmed Al Khoori, Salman Al Taher, Abdullah Ali, Moza Al Maamari, Shama Al Sarkal, Aisha Ibrahim, Maryam Jihad, Shahd Al Mazrouei, and Noor Saleh. International referees involved are Marlon Cunanan, Rustum Tolentino, Kindiban Liraz from the Philippines, Maha Mahmood from Egypt, Rawad Hamood from Lebanon, and Mahmood Zalhaf from Syria.

His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, praised the ongoing support of the leadership, which he credits with the development and excellence of the sports sector in the UAE. He highlighted the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club’s efforts as crucial to the festival’s growth and success. Al Awani also noted that the UAE’s commitment to chess has garnered international recognition, including the upcoming opportunity to host the 2028 Chess Olympiad, a testament to the country's dedication to advancing the sport.

Hussein Abdullah Al Khoori, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, emphasized the festival’s status as one of the world’s leading chess events. He commended the festival’s evolution over the years and its esteemed position in the international chess community, attributing its success to the support and interest of the UAE’s leadership.