Officials with the winners of the 3rd Qatar Rail Chess Open 2025.
Doha: Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail), in collaboration with the Qatar Chess Association, recognised the winners of the third edition of the Qatar Rail Chess Open 2025, held from July 17 to 20 in conjunction with the celebration of World Chess Day, which is marked annually on July 20.
This tournament aligned with Qatar Rail’s social responsibility strategy, which aims organize and host engaging community activities and initiatives that foster engagement and build a stronger sense of community within the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks.
The third edition attracted a large number of participants and witnessed strong competition among many professional and amateur chess players of various ages and nationalities.
The qualifying stage took place on July 17 at the Qatar Chess Training Center, where participants were divided into two groups and competed under a knockout system to determine the finalists.
The final stage of the tournament was hosted at Al Bidda Station on the Doha Metro on July 20, which witnessed thrilling matches between the qualified players, followed by an award ceremony recognizing the winners.
Bologan Victor claimed first place with a total of 7.5 points, edging out syed Abdul khader—who secured second place with the same score—based on tiebreak criteria.
Zhu Chen finished in third place with 7 points, while Johan Jobsy secured fourth place with 6 points, ahead of Abel Sajan, who ranked fifth with 5.5 points.
In recognition of the active role played by Qatar Rail in supporting the sport of chess in the State of Qatar and its contribution to creating a positive impact in the community, the company was honoured by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) with a Certificate of Appreciation under the FIDE Social Chess Award 2025 for its distinguished efforts.
The certificate was received on behalf of Qatar Rail by Abdulla Ali Al-Mawlawi, Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations.
On this occasion, Abdulla Ali Al-Mawlawi said: “For the third consecutive year, Qatar Rail has successfully organized another edition of the Qatar Rail Open Chess Tournament in partnership with the Qatar Chess Federation. We are pleased with the level of participation, engagement, and positive feedback the tournament has received. What truly distinguishes this year’s edition is the recognition Qatar Rail received from the International Chess Federation (FIDE), which we deeply value and consider a drive to continue supporting this sport and nurturing local talent in the State of Qatar.”
Mohammed Ahmed Al-Madhahka, President of the Qatar Chess Association, said: “We highly value the fruitful cooperation with Qatar Rail and thank them for their continued support in promoting chess culture and encouraging individuals to engage in the game. Through our successful partnership for the third year in a row, we were delighted to organize a successful edition of the Qatar Rail Chess Open.”
