Teenage UAE chess player shows smart moves

Abu Dhabi: When 15-year-old Salim Abdul Rahman sits in front of the 32-piece chess set he is transformed into a world of laws and rules leaving everything in this world behind him.

Rahman has won in every category he has played in, making him a champion in the Asia division and now he is playing in the 20-year-old category at the International Chess Festival being held this week in Abu Dhabi.

"I practice at least two hours a day. I have a trainer and when I play a game I have to concentrate. I can't think of anything else but the game," Rahman, an Emirati, says.

Sitting focused in front of an Algerian player five years older than him, Rahman doesn't take his eyes off the board - despite the fact there are 186 other players next to him, cameras flashing and people roaming through the tight aisles around players.

Rahman has been playing since he was seven and at the young age of 13, he was sponsored by the UAE Chess Federation and Damas for a Dh500,000 deal.

While chess is considered a sport, it is arguably in a class of its own. It has been called the intellectual sport of the mind and has been promoted in the UAE since the establishment of the UAE Chess Federation in October 1976. The Dubai 1986 Chess Olympiad gave the UAE a reputation for its commitment to the game.

Rahman is among one of the countless young people in the UAE and the region that reflect a growing interest in the game, says Executive Director of the UAE Chess Federation, Hesham Elgendy.

"We are seeing such an increase in interest and at the same time the UAE is building a name for itself in chess competitions," Elgendy says.

In the 2008 chess championships being held until August 18 at the Cultural Foundation, there are more female participants than there are male. "We implemented a rule where other countries participating have to bring two girls for every one boy. This way we encourage girls' interests in the game," Elgendy adds.

There are 14 nations participating in the competition from the region with 14 prizes to be handed out.