Sharjah Masters Int'l Chess Championship launches 8th edition
Present at the opening round on the top board were Khalid bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club (SCCC) and President of the Arab Chess Federation, Dr. Saif Salem Lakhreibani Al Nuaimi, Vice President of the UAE Chess Federation, Imran Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Tournament Organising Committee, Mohammed Al-Mudhahka, President of the Qatar Chess Federation and Vice President of the Arab Chess Federation, former Chess Federation Secretary-General Hussein Al Shamsi, and other notable sports figures.
Second and Third Round
In the second round (Under 2500 rating), 59 players won in the first round, while 23 matches ended in draws. In the third round, featuring players rated between 1900 and 1400, 49 matches ended in wins, and 12 concluded with draws.
Remarkable Growth Highlighted
Dr. Saif Salem Lakhreibani Al Nuaimi expressed his happiness with the launch of the tournament's eighth edition, which started in 2017 with only 50 players. The event has grown significantly and now attracts players from around the world, with 350 participants representing 60 countries this year.
Open Competition Anticipated
Al Nuaimi added that the championship remains highly competitive and unpredictable. Sharjah continues to organise this international event with high professionalism. He emphasised the UAE Chess Federation's ongoing efforts to elevate the status of chess nationwide. The tournament has become a global platform for intellectual competition, creativity, and thrilling challenges.
Valuable Exposure Opportunity
He further noted that the presence of grandmasters across tournament categories provides UAE players with valuable opportunities to gain experience, enhance intellectual engagement, and develop their competitive edge. This exposure supports their journey toward podium finishes at global events. Additionally, the tournament promotes the UAE by hosting players from diverse nationalities. He credited the tournament's large prize fund for attracting elite players, giving the event significant momentum.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Charley Hull raring to go at PIF London Championship despite freak ankle injury in club car park
If second place at the Women's Open represented a missed opportunity in Charley Hull's bid for a first major title, it is difficult to tell from her demeanour. The World No 10 ranked player arrived at the Centurion Club for this week's PIF London Championship on a high after the adrenaline kick of that tied-runner up finish at Porthcawl in Wales last weekend. Or at least she did until tripping over a kerb in the car park of the course in Hemel Hempstead, in the Hertfordshire countryside just north of London. 'I was buzzing yesterday coming out of physio after getting my back tape on,' Hull said. 'I booked a four or five-hour practice session with my coach last Wednesday. I was really excited all week. 'Coming out of the locker room, I had a skip in my step because I love practicing. But then I fell over a kerb in the car park and was lying on the floor shouting for my boyfriend to come and get me.' Hull said she nearly fainted after falling, and was due for an MRI scan on Thursday afternoon to assess the damage. She was confident she will be able to make her 12.14pm tee-time on Friday's opening day – even if she was left a little frustrated by her fractured build up. 'I'm gutted I couldn't practice yesterday and took Monday and Tuesday off,' Hull said 'I usually feel guilty if I take more than two days off practice. Up until three years ago, I never took more than one or two days off golf. 'Over Christmas I took five or six days, but that was the maximum. I just want to go out and hit some balls to see how it feels. I'm a very clumsy person.' When it was pointed out to her that she has a penchant for such mishaps, the 29-year-old star accepted it was true. 'People say that,' she said. '[Former European Ryder Cup captain] Thomas Bjorn was watching me on the floor and said every time he sees me, I'm lying down somewhere. 'I don't do it on purpose; I'm naturally clumsy. My sister is the clumsiest person I know, and I used to make fun of her for it. I fell over in the middle of the road about two years ago. It runs in my dad's genes.' While the clumsiness gene might be one thing Hull is not especially grateful for to her dad, she says she would not be where she is today without him. Ahead of the start of the Saudi Arabia-backed event in Hertfordshire, she recounted a story about the only time her dad ever got angry with her over golf – and the lesson she learnt from it. 'He gets nervous watching me but he's the most relaxed dad ever,' she said. 'He was never pushy when I was younger. 'He only got angry once. I was about seven years old and had a golf lesson with my coach Kevin Theobald. I wouldn't listen and insisted on doing things my way. The coach told me off, and I didn't like it. 'After hitting balls, I was supposed to pick them up and put them in the practice bag, but I was upset. I got my seven iron and hit low shots at my coach to say, 'Don't tell me off again.' 'My dad saw this from 20 yards away and came over to tell me off. When we got home, he snapped all my golf clubs. I cried, and the next day he bought me a new set of clubs. Apart from that, he never told me off. 'As long as I give it my all and try my best, that's all he wants. I think that's important for kids growing up in golf; parents need to find the right balance so kids love the game.' Organised by Golf Saudi, the PIF London Championship is taking place for the fifth season at Centurion Club, which coincidentally also hosted the first LIV Golf event back in 2022. The tournament is part of the PIF Global Series, a newly launched initiative on the Ladies European Tour which it says is 'aimed at accelerating the growth of women's golf on a global scale'. The tournament, which involves team golf as on LIV Golf events on the men's tour, carries a prize fund of $2 million. It is the third event in the five-tournament series, following competitions played in Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
The National
3 days ago
- The National
India v Pakistan Asia Cup matches will go ahead, insist ECB
Organisers of the Asia Cup are confident there will be no cancelled matches when the competition takes place in the UAE next month. The tournament was originally scheduled to be staged in India. However, it has been switched because of ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, and the matches will instead be played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. India and Pakistan have been drawn in the same group. With a Super Four phase and a final to follow, it is possible they could face each other three times in Dubai between September 14 and 28. Many fans do not believe the sides should be playing each other because of the political situation between the two countries. At a veterans tournament - the World Championship of Legends (WCL) - in the UK this month, an Indian side including stars of the past like Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan opted out of playing Pakistan. Subhan Ahmed, the chief operating officer of the Emirates Cricket Board, said the same situation is unlikely to occur in the Asia Cup. 'We can't make any guarantees, but comparing the Asia Cup against a private event like the WCL is not a like comparison,' Subhan said. 'When decisions to play in the Asia Cup are taken, government permissions are taken in advance. 'That has definitely been done before arriving at the decision of announcing the schedule for the countries. So hopefully we won't be in a situation as there was at the WCL.' The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) responded furiously to what occurred in the WCL in the UK, in which the Pakistan team reached the final, where they lost to an AB de Villiers inspired South Africa. They have issued a 'blanket ban' to players participating in the WCL in the future, because of the 'appalling conduct of awarding points to a willfully forfeiting team'. They also said the explanation of the cancellation of the fixture between Pakistan and India was loaded with 'hypocrisy and bias'. 'The PCB has always advocated for the separation of sports and politics,' they wrote in a statement. 'Our unwavering belief is that cricket, like other international sports, should solely serve as a platform for goodwill, healthy competition, and mutual respect. 'For a tournament involving legendary players to be dictated by sentiments that undermine this fundamental principle is not only regrettable but also deeply concerning for the future of independent sporting events.' While the WCL is a privately-run event, the Asia Cup is arranged via a council made up of the competing countries. The UAE has been regarded as the perfect neutral territory in which to stage Asia Cup tournaments multiple times in the past. Indeed, the first edition of the tournament was played in Sharjah in 1984. In recent times, crowd unrest has occurred during matches between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but fixtures between India and Pakistan have generally been played out in an amiable atmosphere. Subhan said no additional security measures are in place for next month as yet, but that the tournament organisers will be guided by higher authorities. 'We are dependent on what the government advises us in terms of our preparation,' Subhan said. 'If there is any specific directive from the government as to what arrangements should be put in place related to the ongoing environment, certainly we would put those steps in place. 'For the moment, we haven't received anything. We will be having meetings and asking for their advice, and will be acting accordingly. 'It would be the government who would take the lead in putting forward any specific arrangements if they were required.' Next month will be the third time in the past four editions of the men's Asia Cup that the UAE has played host to the competition, a sequence which started in 2018. Between those times, Dubai International Stadium has also staged T20 World Cup finals in both men's and women's cricket. 'When the stadium was built, the vision of the people who invested into that project was huge,' Subhan said of the ground in Dubai Sports City, which opened in 2009. 'Without the surety of getting major ICC events, they invested in the infrastructure. Fifteen to 20 years down the line, they have realised what a good decision that was. 'To build a stadium of this stature, as well as with Abu Dhabi and Sharjah having continued to invest in their respective properties, it gives us the edge over various other potential hosts when it comes to major events.'
Khaleej Times
29-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
Northrop and Casey set JGE's Fire Course ablaze in nail-biting Jumeirah Pairs thriller
Jumeirah Golf Estates' Fire course set the stage for a fiercely competitive edition of the Monthly Jumeirah Pairs, sponsored by The Brain & Performance Centre – a DP World Company. Played in a Pairs Shambles format, the competition took place from the Composite Tees for men and the Forward Tees for women. Competition was intense, with a three-way back-nine countback required to determine the podium positions. However, the standout round of the day came from the winning duo of Harry Northrop and Kieran Casey, who triumphed by two strokes after a round of 12 under par, net 60. Their round featured six consecutive birdies on the front nine, as well as a net eagle on the par-4 15th hole. Casey said, 'The condition of the Fire course was superb, and the Jumeirah Golf Estates Agronomy Team should be proud of their efforts this summer. I cannot imagine it has been easy for them in the heat, but they continue, day in and day out, to present us Members with fantastic playing surfaces and a truly prestigious golf course.' Thee-way tie Determining the runners-up was far more contentious, with three pairs tied at 10 under par, net 62 – all delivering impressive performances. After the back-nine, back-six, back-three, and final-hole countbacks, Richard Green and Martin Stewart, as well as Bradley Valentine and Andrew Turnbull, could not be separated and were declared joint runners-up – a tremendously competitive and close finish for both pairings. Commiserations went to the father-son duo of Neil and Charles Gallagher, who also shot 10 under par, net 62, but missed the podium by the narrowest of margins. In the Gross Division, Mark Schoombie and Jacob Wissum delivered a superb performance with their bogey-free round of 66, six under par. The pair claimed victory by two strokes. The on-course competitions, all sponsored by The Brain and Performance Centre, added another layer of excitement to the day. Pin Perfect Half of the Gross-winning pair, Mark Schoombie, won Nearest the Pin on the par-3 8th with a brilliant shot landing just three feet from the hole, setting up partner Wissum for an easy tap-in birdie. Martin Stewart made his way to the stage for the second time in the evening, claiming Nearest the Pin in Two on the 10th. Alan McNamara took home the Nearest the Pin prize on the tricky par-3 14th after a superb tee shot that finished just inches from the hole. Grateful for Support During the prize presentation, Cameron McWhinnie, Assistant Golf Services Manager at Jumeirah Golf Estates, reflected on the day: 'Despite the Dubai summer heat providing a challenge, it is great to see such an attendance for this popular event on the JGE calendar. Special thanks, as always, goes to our sponsor of the Jumeirah Pairs – The Brain & Performance Centre – a DP World Company.'
