Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
India’s young Grandmaster (GM) Pranav Venkatesh emerged victorious in the inaugural Fujairah Global Chess Championship, the richest event in the UAE with a prize pool of $125,000 overall, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah.
In the final round, Pranav defeated Spain’s GM Alan Pichot in a masterful rook endgame, finishing on 7/9 to secure the championship, organised by the Fujairah Chess and Culture Club.
With this exceptional performance, the World Junior Chess champion gained 28 rating points, reaching a career-best live rating of 2,631, alongside 17.6 FIDE Circuit points. He also claimed the top prize of $23,000.
Every game on the top boards proved decisive for the final standings. On board 2, GM Amin Tabatabaei (Iran) was held to a draw by GM Alexander Donchenko (Germany). On the next board, GM Brandon Jacobson (USA) drew against top seed GM Nihal Sarin (India).
The fourth board saw GM Abhimanyu Mishra (USA) sharing the point with GM Sanan Sjugirov (Hungary). These results paved the way for GM Jose Eduardo Martinez (Mexico) to reach the podium by defeating GM Sam Shankland (USA).
Three players – Jacobson, Martinez and Tabatabaei – all finished on 6 points. On tiebreaks, Jacobson took second place, with Martinez and Tabatabaei following suit. They earned $13k, $9k and $8k respectively.
China’s GM Zhu Jiner, the only female competitor in the Superstars section, impressed once again. She defeated Bulgaria’s GM Ivan Cheparinov in the final round, finishing fifth with 5½ points and earning US$ 7,000.
Also placing in the top 10 (by tiebreaks) were GMs Aditya Mittal (India), Alexander Donchenko (Germany), Sanan Sjugirov (Hungary), Abhimanyu Mishra (USA), and Lu Shanglei (China).
In the Masters Division, USA’s GM Brewington Hardaway triumphed with 7.5 points. GM Ata Umut Akbas (Turkiye) finished second on 7/9, followed by GM Artin Ashraf (Iran) in third, GM Karthik Venkataraman (India) in fourth, and GM Reza Mahdavi (Iran) in fifth – each placement determined by tiebreaks.
The Open category saw Fide Master Alimzhan Zhauynbay (Kazakhstan, U12) deliver a sensational performance to clinch first place with 8/9. Armenia’s Davit Baghdasaryan (U16), Turkmenistan’s Candidate Master Allayar Shirlilyev, and Iran’s CM Benyamin Babaniya all scored 7.5 points, taking second to fourth place respectively on tiebreaks. China’s Huaqi Liu (U14) also impressed, scoring 7.5 points to finish fifth.
The championship’s closing ceremony was attended by esteemed dignitaries such as Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, President of the UAE Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation; Taryam Matar, UAE Chess Federation President; Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of FIDE and the European Chess Union; Victor Bologan, FIDE Executive Director; and Ali Nihat Yazıcı, President of the Turkish Chess Federation.
Speaking on the final day, the FIDE deputy chief Reizniece-Ozola revealed that she had followed the Fujairah Chess Club’s establishment for three years, describing what she saw at the beginning as almost a “dream” in 1993.
She noted that she was surprised by what it has become today - a distinguished sporting organisation that rivals the most prestigious international clubs. Reizniece-Ozola saw it as evidence of the efforts of the club’s management and the unlimited support that sports receive in the emirate of Fujairah.
