Doha: The second edition of Qatar Classic Chess Cup began yesterday at the Qatar Chess Training Center.
The tournament which features 30 players will continue until September 13 with participation limited to Qatari nationals. The tournament is held according to the Swiss system over seven rounds.
Qatar Chess Association (QCA) President Mohammed Al Mudahka made the ceremonial opening move yesterday in the opening round contest between International Master Hussein Aziz and his opponent Ali Al Nuaimi.
The men’s category is led by top seed Hussein Aziz while a group of players from the Qatari national team, Irfan Mohammed, seeded second; Hamad Al Kuwari, seeded third; Khaled Al Jumaat; Ibrahim Al Janahi; Fahad Al Mansoori; Abdulaziz Al Mahasneh; Turki Al Kuwari; Mohammed Al Qassabi; Saif Ahmed; Ali Al Nuaimi; Khaled Al Ziyara; Fahad Al Mansoori; Mubarak Al Hitmi; Khalifa Al Maliki; and Mohammed Al Subaie also compete.
The tournament also sees eight women players in action, namely Salama Al Khalifi, Aisha and Ghada Al Khalifi, Rawda and Lian Al Qassabi, Asma Al Hammadi, Aisha Al Nuaimi, and Noura Al Sulaiti.
The QCA President expressed his happiness at the launch of the second edition of the tournament, which sees the implementation of the new FIDE rules for the first time.
Al Mudahka said, “We have been keen to develop this tournament, and it has been included in the Federation’s annual competition agenda. We look forward to increasing the number of participants with each edition.”
Al Mudahka explained that the goal of this tournament is to select the best players to represent Qatari chess in upcoming events, and this has been done in coordination with the technical staff of the national teams.
Hamad Al Tamimi, Executive Director of QCA, said that the tournament is witnessing good participation from players from both male and female national teams, noting that it is an important opportunity for them to prepare for international competitions.
He pointed out that the tournament’s organizing committee was keen to provide a competitive environment for the national team players in order to achieve technical gains, assess their true level, and develop their skills.
