Second edition of Hamda Bint Taryam School Chess Championship to start on October 7

The Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club will organise the second edition of the Hamda Bint Taryam School Chess Championship, under the patronage of Sheikh Dr. Khalid Bin Humaid Al Qasimi, President of the Arab Chess Federation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Education, and the Arab and UAE Chess Federations.

The championship will run from October 7 to November 3, bringing together school students from across the Arab world to compete for Dhs 60,000 in prize money, in addition to trophies, medals and certificates of appreciation for winners across the various categories.

The Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club unveiled details of the championship during a press conference held at the club’s headquarters.

The event was attended by Taryam Matar Taryam, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club; Dr. Ismaeil Ebrahim Al Khouri, President of the UAE Chess Federation; Dr. Maliha Mahmoud Al Mazmi, Secretary-General of the Arab Chess Federation; Abdullah Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary-General of the UAE Chess Federation; as well as several federation and club officials, representatives of the Ministry of Education, coaches, school teachers and sports personalities.

The championship will be held online via the Lichess platform, targeting male and female students across four age categories: Under 7, Under 9, Under 11 and Under 17. Boys and girls will compete separately, allowing school-based talents from across the Arab world to participate. More than 30,000 students are expected to take part.

The preliminary qualifiers will begin online on October 4, followed by a series of qualifying stages leading to the final round, which will be held in person in Sharjah on November 2 and 3. The championship will conclude with an awards ceremony for the winners on November 3.

The competition combines online chess in the preliminary stages with face-to-face competition in the finals, giving students a comprehensive competitive experience while strengthening links between young school talents and chess institutions across the Arab world.

Taryam Matar Taryam, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, said the championship reflects the club’s commitment to developing school chess and transforming it into a sustainable pathway for discovering and nurturing young talents.

“The Hamda Bint Taryam School Chess Championship is an extension of our efforts to support school chess. Through this initiative, we are committed to creating a competitive environment that enables students to discover and develop their abilities from an early age,” he said.

He added: “For the second edition, we have expanded the scope of the championship to include school students from across the Arab world. This will strengthen interaction among young talents and give them opportunities to compete, gain experience and learn from one another. We hope the championship will help discover players who can continue their journey through clubs and national teams, eventually reaching Arab, continental and international competitions.”

He said hosting the finals in Sharjah reflects the emirate’s role in supporting chess and strengthening its presence in schools, while connecting school talents with the competitive pathway through clubs and national teams.

He noted that over the past three years, 11,350 students have played chess across 274 schools, while 807 teachers have been trained and 117 school chess clubs have been established.

“These figures reflect the scale of efforts to expand the game’s base, establish chess firmly within the educational environment, and transform schools into a key source for discovering talents and developing champions,” he said.

For his part, Dr. Ismail Ibrahim Al Khoury, President of the UAE Chess Federation, praised the championship’s concept, describing it as a “purely Emirati idea” that reflects the UAE’s vision of promoting chess and expanding its base of practitioners.

“We are proud of this initiative, which extends the work begun by Taryam Matar Taryam during his tenure as President of the UAE Chess Federation, when he launched the initiative to promote chess in schools and recognized the importance of schools as the primary foundation for discovering talents and developing future champions,” Al Khoury said.

He added that such initiatives offer significant technical, administrative and organizational benefits, particularly as they expand to the Arab level.

“This reflects the position the UAE has achieved in the chess landscape and confirms its ability to launch high-quality initiatives that serve the future of the game,” he said.

Al Khoury stressed that the UAE Chess Federation will continue building on the achievements of the previous phase.

“We will continue the work started by the previous board to promote chess in schools, expand the number of practitioners, discover and develop talents, and connect them with clubs and national teams. Investment in the younger age groups is the fundamental pillar of the future of UAE chess. The work we are doing in schools today will be reflected tomorrow in the level of players, national teams and achievements, ultimately serving the interests of UAE chess,” he said.