KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Top officials from the world chess body FIDE, including former world champion and deputy president Viswanathan Anand, heads of regional chess federations and famous player names in the sport gave their unequivocal support to Abu Dhabi as a key player in the future of chess.
For the past few days in the chess world, Abu Dhabi remained the focus for dual reasons.
Top dignitaries were in the city which was the penultimate stop in the Olympic torch relay that culminates at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest next month, while coinciding with the milestone 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival (ADICF), one of the largest gathering of players, amateur or professional.
This year’s event from August 14-24 saw more than 2,200 players from 42 countries take part, a record increase from over 1,700 at the previous year’s staging.
There were 14 categories, including the Masters which had the prize money doubled to $30,000 to mark the occasion. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, attended a torch relay ceremony at the Marina Mall on the Corniche.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, the dual events have set up the stage perfectly for the 47th Chess Olympiad, which it will host in 2028, around the next Olympics.
“We are very much excited about the 2028 Chess Olympiad which will be held in Abu Dhabi,” said Anand to Aletihad.
“And, of course, that is why it is a very, very important stop for the torch relay along with this year’s venue, Budapest, but [in the] long-term, I see Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general becoming a focal point for chess in the Middle East.”
Winning the main Masters category for the big cheque was young 22-year-old Uzbekistan Grandmaster Nodirbek Yakubboev, a regular to Abu Dhabi in his pursuit of excellence in chess.
Presently UAE hosts two events – Dubai and Sharjah – traditionally every year on the international circuit. Early this year, Dubai Police sponsored a major event with $1 million in prize money.
Abu Dhabi is also seeking sponsors to organise one of its own, according to sources. The UAE has a lot of history, too, as pointed out by FIDE deputy chairwoman Dana Reizniece-Ozola.
“Don’t forget that the UAE hosted the Chess Olympiad way back in 1986 [in Dubai] and has showed to be ahead of the time from more than three decades back.”
She showed the coin to Aletihad that was minted by the UAE to commemorate the occasion.
“The UAE and Abu Dhabi have shown a great track record for hosting events and that’s what was the deciding factor for us when we chose it to host the Olympiad even if it may not have hosted one in the modern era,” said Arkady Dvorkovich, the FIDE president, over a recorded interview to Aletihad.
Asked if the next four years are enough for the UAE to make a strong representation of its own as the hosts through its players, Reizniece-Ozola chipped in.
“The Olympiad is a team game and it all depends on the collective. Example, a young team like Uzbekistan won the last Olympiad when no one was looking at them as favourites. If the UAE can get a few young players together, why not?”
Events like the ADICF certainly help, both she and Anand said.
“The Abu Dhabi Chess Festival does indeed have massive numbers,” said Anand.
“It has now become one of the premier open tournaments in the world with the number of strong players and countries that are represented.”
“I think for the chess community in Abu Dhabi, having an annual event like this where they can watch games of strong players, interact with them, definitely lays a pathway to popularise the sport. All the Grandmasters, International Masters... getting a chance to talk to them... is how this transmission of knowledge happens.”
“In the evenings, perhaps everyone relaxes at the Corniche and interact. I remember in India, we used to have strong visiting players. A grandmaster would come once every two or three years... we would get excited, go to the club, meet them. I see something very similar happening in Abu Dhabi.”