Latest news with #DubaiOpen
Gulf Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Grebnev wins 25th Dubai Open Chess title
After a month of non-stop competition - playing one tournament after another across three cities in the UAE with little rest in between - teenage Grandmaster (GM) Aleksey Grebnev finally hit his stride in Dubai. Needing only a draw to secure the title, the 18-year-old Russian stayed composed despite an opening surprise by his opponent to calmly collect the half point he needed to clinch the championship in the 25th Dubai Open Chess Tournament on Wednesday at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club. Grebnev drew his final-round game against GM Shant Sargsyan of Armenia to finish with seven points in the nine-round tournament on account of five wins, four draws, and no losses. While he has won the Asian Junior Championship twice in 2023 and 2024 and was the 2023 U18 World Youth champion, Grebnev considers the Dubai Open as the biggest win in his young career. 'I am very pleased that I managed to show a good performance and win the tournament,' said Grebnev after the title-clinching draw. 'This is my first time winning a tournament of this level.' Playing white against Sargsyan, Grebnev said he was surprised to see the Caro-Kann defense on the board, which he countered with the Two Knights' Attack. 'Before the game, I decided that I had to play hard (despite needing only a draw to win the tournament),' he said. 'My opponent surprised me in the opening by defending with the Caro-Kann, but I responded well and the position quickly equalised and he offered a draw.' The Dubai Open was Grebnev's fourth tournament in a row - and third successive event within a month in the UAE. He played at the Asian Men's Championship in Al Ain and the Sharjah Masters last month with uninspiring results, but Dubai proved to be the turning point. 'I feel tired,' he said of playing high-pressure games almost every day for a month. 'But I'm very happy with the results of the tournament.' To celebrate, Grebnev said he plans to explore some of Dubai's must-visit spots with his mother Helena, who accompanied him during the Dubai leg of his four-week campaign in the UAE. 'I just want to take a break from the tension,' he said. 'This is my first time in Dubai and I was planning to go to the Dubai Mall tomorrow. After Dubai, I plan to rest for a week and then I'll play in the Higher League of the Russian Championship.' GM Alan Pichot of Spain also finished the tournament with seven points after defeating Iranian prodigy GM Sina Movahed, but settled for second place with an inferior tiebreak score, which calculated the average rating of a player's opponents. Russia's GM Ivan Zemlyanskii, who defeated Vietnam's IM Pham Tran Gia Phuc, Sargsyan, and GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia, who won over India's GM Bharath Subramaniyam, scored 6.5 points each and finished third to fifth, respectively.
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
UAE, along with Qatar spearheading chess movement in Gulf: FIDE
Tribune News Network Stavanger (Norway) The UAE is fast solidifying its position as a global chess hub, with legendary grandmaster Viswanathan Anand praising its dynamic growth on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ongoing Norway Chess 2025 and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich highlighting major developments in the country, including the upcoming 2028 Chess Olympiad in Abu Dhabi. A top regional chess hub in the making The UAE's chess ecosystem has seen remarkable growth, with established tournaments like the Dubai Open, Sharjah Open, and Abu Dhabi Open attracting global talent. 'The UAE likes to be the centre of many things,' said Anand, a five-time World Champion and the Deputy President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) while talking to media on the second rest day of the prestigious annual tournament featuring world's top players including Magnus Carlsen and reigning world champion D Gukesh. 'They've been very active in chess, hosting events across the Emirates – Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah–and playing an important role.' While Dvorkovich praised the UAE's expanding chess ecosystem, citing established events like the Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai Opens, as well as growing grassroots participation. 'Players love coming here, and the [UAE] national federation is very active—always thinking of new ways to promote the game,' he said, highlighting the active involvement of the UAE Chess Federation that is also home to the president of the Asian Chess Federation. Anand also recalled his personal connection to Dubai's chess scene. 'When I was younger, tournaments in the Emirates were some of the most anticipated. The 1986 Olympiad in Dubai was a special moment — even then, Dubai was a fascinating place. I remember being amazed by an ice rink in the desert, something unheard of at the time. From my first Olympiad in '86 to today, Dubai [and UAE] have always been a special chess destination - and it just keeps getting better.' With the 2028 Olympiad returning to the UAE, Anand noted the significance of this milestone: 'With Abu Dhabi hosting the Chess Olympiad again after 42 years shows how much the country and the region have embraced chess. It's a thrilling prospect for players and fans alike.' 2028 Olympiad & Expo 2020 Legacy The 2028 Chess Olympiad – set for Abu Dhabi – will mark a full-circle moment for chess in UAE 42 years after Dubai first hosted. 'It's a huge milestone,' said Dvorkovich stressing how it will further elevate the UAE's chess profile while Anand added, 'The Olympiad's return shows how far the UAE has come as a chess destination.' While the 2021 World Championship contest between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi during Dubai Expo 2020 demonstrated the UAE's ability to elevate chess into a global spectacle, according to the FIDE bos. 'Dubai made it an international event, not just a local competition – that's what the city does best,' Dvorkovich,remarked, highlighting the UAE's unique capacity to amplify the sport's profile. New generation takes the board And for both, the emergence of 15-year-old Rouda Al Sarkal as the Gulf's first WGM has become a symbol of the UAE's chess ambitions. Her recent strong performances in international competitions, including three consecutive wins in her maiden campaign in the open category of Norway Chess, have captured attention far beyond chess circles. 'It's a wonderful surprise to see a young talent like Rouda breaking barriers,' said Anand. 'Her success has the potential to inspire countless girls across the region. It could be a game-changer for chess in the Middle East. Dvorkovich noted the systematic approach behind such achievements: 'More children are joining clubs and receiving quality coaching - this structured development is producing results.' Gulf region's expanding chess footprint But the Gulf's chess momentum extends beyond the UAE, according to the former Russian Deputy PM, with Qatar playing a leading role. Mohammed Al Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Association and a FIDE Director, has been instrumental in elevating chess in the region, most notably by organising the renowned Qatar Masters tournament. This December, Doha will host the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships for the first time, following last year's event in New York. 'This is huge for the region,' Dvorkovich said. 'More wild cards will be given to players from the Gulf, and local spectators will experience world-class chess in a spectacular venue.' While Saudi Arabia remains focused on esports for now, Dvorkovich hinted at future collaborations, all eyes are on the UAE and Qatar as they lead the region's chess surge.
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- General
- Al Etihad
UAE spearheading chess movement in the Gulf: FIDE in Norway
4 June 2025 23:49 STAVANGER (ALETIHAD)The UAE is fast solidifying its position as a global chess hub, the topmost two officials of the world chess body have President Arkady Dvorkovich and his deputy Viswanathan Anand have praised the dynamic growth of the sport in the Emirates while speaking at the sidelines of the Norway Chess Open on has already spoke to Aletihad about the UAE's organisational capabilities and major plans for the sport, when it was decided to award the 2028 Chess Olympiad to Abu Dhabi as UAE's chess ecosystem has seen remarkable growth, with established tournaments like the Dubai Open, Sharjah Open, and the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival attracting global talent."The UAE likes to be at the centre of many things," said Anand, a five-time world champion and the Deputy President of FIDE, while talking to media on the second rest day of the Norway tournament, featuring world's top players such as Magnus Carlsen and reigning world champion D Gukesh. "They've been very active in chess, hosting events across the Emirates – Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah – and playing an important role.'Players love coming here, and the [UAE] national federation is very active – always thinking of new ways to promote the game,' he said. The UAE has also hosted many major events at the continental level such as Asian Individual Chess Championship last month in Al Ain, the home of the Asian Chess Federation president, Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout Al also recalled his personal connection to Dubai's chess scene. 'When I was younger, tournaments in the Emirates were some of the most anticipated. The 1986 Olympiad in Dubai was a special moment – even then, Dubai was a fascinating place. I remember being amazed [later] by an ice rink in the desert [Ski Dubai], something unheard of at the time. From my first Olympiad in '86 to today, it has always been a special chess destination – and it just keeps getting better.'Abu Dhabi hosting the Chess Olympiad again [in the UAE] after 42 years shows how much the country and the region have embraced chess. It's a thrilling prospect for players and fans alike. It shows how far the UAE has come as a chess destination.' Dvorkovich also gave his nod: 'It's a huge milestone.'While on Dubai, the FIDE boss recalled the 2021 World Championship contest between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi during the Dubai Expo 2020 when UAE demonstrated their ability to elevate chess into a global spectacle. "Dubai made it an international event, not just a local competition – that's what the city does best."And for both, the emergence of 15-year-old Rouda AlSerkal as the Gulf's first Woman Grandmaster has become a symbol of the UAE's chess ambitions. The Abu Dhabi resident's recent strong performances in international competitions, including in the open category of Norway Chess as a wild card, has many sit up and take notice."It's a wonderful surprise to see a young talent like Rouda breaking barriers," said Anand. "Her success has the potential to inspire countless girls across the region. It could be a game-changer for chess in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Dvorkovich also noted the strides of development being made in Qatar while looking at the broader picture in the Gulf region. Apart from hosting the Qatar Masters tournament, this December, Doha will host the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships for the first time. 'This is huge for the region,' Dvorkovich said. 'More wild cards will be given to players from the Gulf, and local spectators will experience world-class chess in a spectacular venue.' Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Chess: Four Indians in world's top 10 for first the time
Bengaluru: Away from the pitched battle between current and former world champions in the Norwegian city of Stavanger – which has India's D Gukesh sweeping the headlines – another Indian is quietly breaking barriers and raising the roof. For the first time ever, India has four active chess players in the top 10 of the live ratings – Gukesh - world No.4 (Elo 2782.3) Arjun Erigaisi - world No.5 (Elo 2772.6) R Praggnanandhaa - world No.7 (Elo 2765.9) and Aravindh Chithambaram - world No.10 (Elo 2753.5). The newest entrant to this elite group is 25-year-old Aravindh. The Grandmaster from Madurai breached Elo 2750 for the first time in his career over the last weekend after a dominant 27-move win against Xu Xiangyu in Round 3 of the Stepan Avagyan Memorial in Armenia. Praggnanandhaa is the other Indian in the field and the only other player rated above 2700. Apart from these four top-ten players, the three other Indian players in the 2700+ bracket are Viswanathan Anand (Elo 2743), Vidit Gujrathi (Elo 2720) and P Harikrishna (Elo 2703). Twenty-year-old Nihal Sarin broke into the Elo 2700 club at the Dubai Open last week, but has since slipped. For Aravindh, the climb up the rankings, even if belated, has been impressive. He broke into the scene as a 14-year-old who took down a clutch of Grandmasters to win the Chennai GM Open in 2013, held on the sidelines of the World Chess Championship between Anand and Magnus Carlsen. He was touted as the next big thing in Indian chess but inexplicably flew under the radar before returning with noteworthy performances last year. In recent times, he has pulled off a string of upsets – defeating American GM Hikaru Nakamura (2024 World Blitz Championship), Erigaisi (2024 Chennai Grand Masters), Alireza Firouzja (2025 Superbet Poland) and Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2025 Superbet Poland) and won the Prague Masters earlier this year. 'Aravindh should have perhaps reached this level five years ago,' says coach RB Ramesh, 'He had the potential but confidence was an issue. It was holding him back. He now realises that he's getting older and the younger players are getting ahead of him, Typically, in such situations a player can give up and begin to believe that their time is over with younger players taking over. But Aravindh has not given up, he is motivated to push back. There is a sense of urgency now.'
Gulf Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Grandmasters Muradli, Grebnev share lead at Dubai Open Chess Tournament
Grandmaster (GM) Mahammad Muradli bolstered his quest to defend his title after picking up his third straight point in as many rounds on Thursday night in the 25th Dubai Open Chess Tournament at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club. Muradli of Azerbaijan is in a two-way with Russia's teenage talent GM Aleksey Grebnev for the lead going into the next round, where both players will face off for the tournament's sole leadership. In it's 25-year history the Dubai Open has seen only two players winning the title twice, and both times in back-to-back fashion - GM Gawain Jones of the UK (2016-17) and GM Aravindh Chithambaram of India (2022-23). It will be an uphill battle for Muradli to become the third player to achieve the feat against a tough GM-laden field, but the Azerbaijani is off to a good start. Muradli defeated Austria's International Master (IM) Dotzer Lukas with the white pieces in a Reti Opening that quickly spiraled into a complex middlegame. Lukas signaled his aggressive intentions early by offering a pawn sacrifice on the third move, which Muradli declined. The Austrian then launched a serious kingside assault, prompting Muradli to secure his king on the queenside, but Lukas was severely running short on time-a factor that played a major role in his eventual loss. Grebnev won over Fide Master (FM) Panesar Vedant in a Larsen Attack opening where the 18-year-old Russian ripped open the Indian's kingside defense with his major pieces. Grebnev said he used an attacking idea successfully employed by Dutch number one Anish Giri in a game last year at the Tata Steel Masters. 'My opponent was not prepared for this line and he made a few mistakes and missed some tactics,' said Grebnev, who is playing in his fourth straight tournament this month - from the Rusian Team Championship in Sochi that started in late April, to the Asian Individual Championship in Al Ain, Sharjah Masters, and now the Dubai Open. 'I'm fine,' he said of his demanding schedule. 'It's my fourth tournament in a row, so I just want to show a good game.' The matches between the four other second-round leaders ended in draws, including top-seed GM Nihal Sarin of India who could only manage half a point against compatriot IM Rohith Krishna. Playing the black pieces, Sarin sacrificed a knight on the 17th move to pry open Krishna's kingside and create a potentially dangerous passed pawn. Krishna defended accurately and the game petered out into a drawn endgame. GM Yair Parkhov of Israel also halved the point with IM Nitish Belurkar of India. The four players dropped half a point behind Muradli and Grebnev with 2.5 points each. In Category B, five players led by Iran's FM Mahdi Nikookar share the lead with three points each. Nikookar, the seventh seed and the highest-rated player among the leaders, defeated India's Shashish Subbiah for his third straight point. Also with three points are Mukund Hemant Agarwal of India, FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman of Bangladesh, Zhang Zhi of China, and Candidate Master (CM) Alankar Sawai Vandan of India. The tournament offers a prize pool of $52,000 to be handed out to the winners of both categories. Category A, contested by players with a rating over 2300, has a total prize fund of $39,500 with $12,000 going to the champion, while Category B, open to players rated below 2300, offers $12,500 in total prizes and $2,000 awarded to the champion. Special prizes will also be distributed to top performers among rating categories, unrated, youth, women, and UAE players. The tournament follows a 9-round Swiss system with a 90-minute time control plus a 30-second increment per move. Games are played every day from 5pm, except the final round on June 4, which starts at 10am. The awarding ceremony is on June 5. Earlier, Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri clinched the Masters title after securing 7 points out of 9 rounds at the recently concluded Sharjah Masters Chess Championship, marking the first time a European player has won the championship. Serbian Grandmaster Aleksandar Indjic and top-seeded Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov both scored 6.5 points, with Indjic taking second place and Abdusattorov finishing third on tiebreaks. Winners of the B and C categories were also honored during the ceremony.
