Salem Abdulrahman To Lead UAE Team At Sharjah International Chess Masters Tournament

Grandmaster Salem Abdulrahman, representing the UAE national chess team and the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, is set to participate in the Sharjah International Chess Masters Tournament. This event, organised by the club, will run from Saturday until 26th May. It is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, with 350 players from 60 countries competing.

The UAE national team will be fully represented at this tournament. Leading the team is Salem Abdulrahman, accompanied by Woman Grandmaster Rouda Al Serkal, who is also an Arab Champion and a member of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club. Other notable participants include Omar Nouman, Omran Al Hosani, Ibrahim Sultan, and additional national team members.

Players from various chess clubs across the UAE will also join the competition. The tournament will be officiated by a panel of 15 arbiters from different nationalities. International Arbiter Faisal Al Hammadi chairs this panel, with Salman Al Taher as Deputy Chief Arbiter. The presence of experienced international arbiters marks this eighth edition as exceptional.

Salman Al Taher will oversee the Masters Tournament alongside Nawaf Al Mansouri, Saber Othman from Morocco, and Irina from Russia. Khalil Al Taher will lead the second tournament with Jamal Qassem of Yemen, Youssef Khalil of Qatar, and Yadviga from Russia. The third tournament management includes Mayed Al Abdooli, Zayed Alblooshi, and Talal Alblooshi.

The Anti-Cheating Committee features Indian official Kubakumar, Secretary of the FIDE Anti-Cheating Commission, along with Khalid Al Hadeed from Oman. The Appeals Committee is chaired by International Arbiter Mahdi Abdulrahim; its members will be confirmed during the technical meeting on the opening day.

Faisal Al Hammadi highlighted that all preparations for this significant international event are complete. He noted that hosting players of such calibre from 60 countries underscores its importance. The selected arbiters bring extensive experience to ensure smooth proceedings throughout the tournament.

This tournament offers players a chance to achieve norms required for international titles if they earn sufficient rating points. Additionally, six arbiters are expected to gain a norm toward their International Arbiter title during this edition.

With inputs from WAM