The 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival- under the patronage of Nahyan bin Zayed - kicks off tomorrow with record participation from more than 2,200 male and female players from 82 countries

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival kicks off at 5PM tomorrow, Thursday.

The opening activities of the prominent international event will be held at the St. Regis Hotel Abu Dhabi (Corniche), organised by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club and supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council

The festival’s latest edition has already set an unprecedented participation record of more than 2,200 male and female players representing 82 countries, compared to the previous edition which witnessed the presence of 1,704 players from 63 countries.

The Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival’s organising committee has also raised the value of the Master Champion award to $30,000 in celebration of the event’s 30th edition. The values of the rest of its awards remain unchanged.

The newest edition's activities will be held over 10 days at the Radisson Blu and St. Regis hotels, due to the high number of participants.

Players will be competing across 27 diverse events, as the organising committee was keen to consider their various technical levels and age groups. In addition, separate championships for government institutions and companies, as well for schools, are included for the first time within the festival's activities.

The events include International Masters competitions, the Open Championship A, the Open Championship B, the Juniors (under 16 years) tournament, the Open Blitz tournament, the Juniors Blitz tournament (under 16 years), the Family Team tournament, the Community Teams tournament, the Government Department Teams tournament, the People of Determination tournament, the main Abu Dhabi Chess Academy tournament and the remaining Abu Dhabi Chess Academy tournaments subdivided into age categories of U14, U10 and U8.

The UAE Men's and Women’s teams will also participate in the festival alongside teams representing Qatar, Kuwait, Uzbekistan and China.

The tournament matches will be broadcast live on the websites of the International Chess Federation, the Asian and Arab Federations, and most specialised chess websites.

The International Referees Committee is headed by Saeed Ahmed Al Khoori and a group of Emirati international referees, including international referee Salman Al Taher and Abdullah Ali, in addition to female referees Moza Al Maamari, Shama Al Sarkal, Aisha Ibrahim, Maryam Jihad, Shahd Al Mazrouei, and Noor Saleh.

The other international referees include Marlon Cunanan, Rustum Tolentino, and 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, emphasised the wise leadership’s continuous support of all sports being the main reason for the sustainability of the sector’s development, excellence, and steady growth, while also contributing to the distinguished results of Emirati athletes in various continental and international events.

His Excellency also praised the support and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan for sports and athletes in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which has had a tangible impact on the development of the sports system. Abu Dhabi now stands tall on the stage of global competitiveness and hosts sports events in line with the best practices and highest international standards, contributing to the UAE’s and Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a global destination for athletes from all over the world.

He added: "There is no doubt that the great efforts undertaken by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club are among the most important reasons for the development of the game's progress and the continuous growth in the increasing number of its practitioners. Furthermore, their keenness on development programmes that anticipate the future of the game alongside supportive programmes to discover and nurture talents, adds momentum to the festival’s 30th edition that has achieved a record participation rate of more than 2,200 male and female players.

"Chess in the UAE has witnessed significant and rapid development, and now occupies a prominent position on the international scene. The country has shown great commitment to developing and supporting this sport at all levels, which has resulted in impressive results. Today, we are on the verge of a historic event represented by the UAE winning the honour of organising the 2028 Chess Olympiad, after competing with Italy. This choice reflects the great confidence that the international community places in the UAE in organising major sporting events. 

“This achievement is not a spur of the moment, but rather the result of continuous efforts and investment in chess infrastructure and talent development, in addition to the support of our wise leadership. We look forward to hosting this global event and working to present an exceptional version that befits the reputation of the UAE and its history full of successes."

Hussein Abdullah Al Khoori, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, confirmed that the international event has become one of the most important and largest chess festivals in the world, having reached its 30th edition this year with record participation, including a group of the most prominent international players.

He commented: "The festival has proven its position on the international chess map in the International Federation’s events calendar, in light of the great development accompanying over 29 consecutive years."

Al Khoori expressed gratitude for the support and patronage of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, headed by His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the festival, and complimented their pivotal role in reaching this inspiring global position.

He continued: "The Abu Dhabi Festival has succeeded in becoming one of the most important ongoing chess events in the United Arab Emirates, and has gained a prestigious position on the international chess scene, winning the focus of most international players from around the world, which makes us proud of the position it has reached, thanks to the support and interest of the wise leadership, who have spared no effort to support sports and athletes."