ABU DHABI: Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, today inaugurated the 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival at the St. Regis Corniche Hotel.

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Chess Club and Mind Games, is seeing the participation of over 2,200 players from 82 countries.

Participants will compete in 27 diverse events, including for the first time, tournaments for government institutions and schools.

The festival features competitions for international masters, open tournaments A and B, under-8 to 16 age categories, blitz tournaments for all, and blitz tournaments for juniors. It also includes competitions for family teams, community teams, academies, institutions, people of determination, and schools for both genders from ages 9 to 17.

The UAE,
Qatar, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, and China are among the countries participating with their national teams.

The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Hamid Al Qasimi, President of the Arab Chess Federation and Chairman of the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, Tarim Mattar, President of the UAE Chess Federation, Hussein Abdullah Al Khouri, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chess Club and Mind Games and Ahmed Al Balushi, President of the Oman Chess Committee.

Source : Emirates News Agency