UAE host international chess festival

Players from over 25 countries and regions will take part in Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to be opened on Saturday, 14 August 2004. The event is organised by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Culture Club (ADCCC) and the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation (ADCF), under the patronage of UAE government. The festival will include five competitions - the Masters, the Open Tournament for men which has attracted more than 150 participants, the U-16 youth competition, the U-12 competition, the Blitz competition and for the first time a computer competition featuring the German chess program Shroeder.

Leading UAE women's player Fatima Al Hammadi will also be in action. The Abu Dhabi International Chess festival will also feature players from Azerbiajan, India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Pakistan, Tunis, Sudan, Turkey, Britain, France,Germany, the Philippines, Romania, Denmark, Morocco, Qatar, Yemen and the UAE.

Related Links:

An International Chess City to come up in UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will start to build an International Chess City in Dubai in six month, with total investment expected to reach 2.62 billion US dollars.  Kirsan Ilumjinov, President of the Russian internally self-governing republic of Kalmykia announced his intentition to establish the International Chess City in Dubai, with that to makeDubai, one of the emirates in UAE, to become the world center for the chess game.

According to Dubai Projects and Armada Group, which are the investors of the project, the Chess City will be built in the chessboard-shaped real estate venture, it is expected to become the headquarters of the International Chess Association, relocatedfrom its present site in Lausanne, Switzerland.  Al Fahim, chief executive of Dubai Projects, noted "We intend to make the International Chess City a centre for all chess lovers,whether they are beginners, masters or amateurs. Through its design, we will have in place massive interactive screens where international contests can be held."

Reference: UAE Chess Federation | Abu Dhabi Chess Club