31st Sharjah International Chess Championship off to perfect start

 The 31st edition of the Sharjah International Chess Championship kicked off on Monday, organized by the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club under the patronage of the Sharjah Sports Council, with the participation of 180 male and female players from various nationalities.

The event is being held at the club’s hall in a highly competitive atmosphere that reflects the tournament's prestigious status on both the local and international chess agendas.

The opening ceremony was attended by Taryam Matar Taryam, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Club, Nasser Abdullah Bin Amer, Acting Secretary-General of the UAE Chess Federation, Omar Abdullah, Vice Chairman of the Club’s Board of Directors, Sultan Al Taher, Head of the Technical Committee of the UAE Chess Federation, along with several members of the club’s board and sports figures.

After the first day of play, 24 players, both male and female, emerged as joint leaders after winning all three of their first-round games. Leading the list of leaders were Grandmaster (GM) Ahmed Adly from Egypt, GM Pouria Darini from Iran, and GM Viorel Iordachescu from Moldova. They were joined by a group of Emirati players, led by GM Salem Abdulrahman, a member of the UAE national team and Sharjah Cultural Chess Club, as well as Ammar Al-Sidrani from the Fujairah Chess Club, Abdulrahman Al-Taher, Ahmed Farid, Anoud Issa, and Zayed Sultan Al-Taher.

In other results, four players earned 2.5 points from two wins and one draw, while 74 players scored 2 points from three rounds, 6 players scored 1.5 points, and 39 players earned 1 point.

None of the players lost all their games in the first three rounds, which highlights the strong competition and the closely matched skill levels among the participants.

In his remarks, Taryam, Chairman of the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club, expressed his gratitude to the Sharjah Sports Council for its support and sponsorship of the tournament.

He emphasized that this support is a key pillar for the continued success and high organizational and technical standards of the event, saying: “The support provided by the Sharjah Sports Council reflects its commitment to developing mental sports and enhancing Sharjah’s position as a prominent sports and cultural hub. We value this partnership, which contributes to presenting the tournament in a distinguished manner."

He added: "The benefits of organizing such tournaments go beyond just the competitive aspect; they extend to important technical and administrative aspects as well. The diversity of nationalities and chess schools provides our players with a valuable opportunity to interact with different styles, helping to refine their skills and prepare them for upcoming challenges."

He continued: "The participation of a large number of Grandmasters brings a significant technical boost to the tournament and adds considerable competitive weight, which positively impacts the overall level of performance and further enhances the tournament's position on the global chess map, especially as it is an internationally rated event. This makes it an important stop, attracting a select group of international masters to compete and participate."