The 30th edition of the Sharjah International Rapid Chess Championship kicks off

The 30th edition of the Sharjah International Rapid Chess Championship, organized by the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, kicked off at the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club.

246 players, including 32 international Grand Master (GM), International Master (IM), International Federation Master (FM), International Grand Master (FGM), and International Federation Master (FMD), representing 28 countries, are participating in the championship. The championship activities will continue until March 6.

The championship activities were inaugurated by Dr. Nabil Ashour, Director of the Support Services Department at the Sharjah Sports Council, in the presence of Sultan Ali Al Taher, a member of the Emirates Chess Federation, Engineer Wahib Jaafar Al Zarouni, Secretary General of the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club, and a number of members of the Boards of Directors of the Emirates Chess Federation and the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club.

The first day of the tournament was highly competitive and had a high level of rivalry between the international masters at the first tables. After the end of the third round, the tournament revealed that 20 players were tied for first place with a full score of 3 points from 3 rounds, led by the first-ranked Azerbaijani Naidzic Arkadich, and the Tajik Farouk Amonatov, the champion of the previous edition. They were joined by the national team and Sharjah Club player Omar Noman Al Ali, the Iranian Darini Bouria, the Egyptian youth world champion Ahmed Adly, the Cuban Walter Arencibia, the Filipino Oliver Demaquiling, the Moroccan Mukhlis Al Adnani, the Uzbek Alexei Barsov, the Moldovan Viorel Lordachescu, the Egyptian international master Moheb Amir, the Georgian Sibashvili, the Syrian Talal Halwani and the Ukrainian Alexander Zubarev. Dr. Nabil Ashour stressed the importance of the tournament, which is attended by a large number of talented and promising players and senior international masters of all ages and nationalities, reflecting a new success added to the successes of the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club, which confirms on every occasion its leadership in attracting and organizing major international events. Faisal Al Hammadi, a member of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club, said that this tournament is of interest to a large number of senior players and witnesses the participation of 7 international referees from the club, appreciating the support of the Sharjah Sports Council for all the club's activities and events.