4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
The Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival is coming back to Abu Dhabi
If you think chess is all polite nods and quiet tapping of the clock, think again.
This August, the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival is back for its 31st edition – and it's the biggest one yet. We're talking over 3,000 players from 82 countries, 27 tournaments and a prize pool of half a million dirhams. Checkmate indeed.
From August 15 to 24, the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche will swap beach loungers for chessboards as masters, prodigies and ambitious amateurs go head-to-head.
The Masters Tournament will be the main event, but this year also adds a twist: checkers, dominoes and Chess960 (that's Fischer Random Chess, for those who like their pawns and queens with a side of chaos).
The scale is record-breaking – more than 500 extra players compared to last year – making it one of the world's leading chess festivals, outshining even some of the sport's most prestigious international fixtures.
Top seeds Sanan Sjugirov and Arkadij Naiditsch are in the mix, joined by UAE stars like Imran Al Hosani, Roza Issa Al Serkal and a new generation of local champions ready to make their mark.
Whether you're here for the grandmasters or the giant prize purse, one thing's clear: in Abu Dhabi this August, the smartest moves will be made over 64 squares.
Aug 15-24, Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Corniche.
You might also like…
Abu Dhabi's best restaurants: Everywhere you should eat at least once
Your dinner inspo is sorted
20 incredibly fun ways to explore Abu Dhabi after dark
The city is at its most fascinating once the sun goes down
The hottest new restaurants and bars in Abu Dhabi right now
The best new openings you should have on your radar
