Dubai: Following a fierce week-long competition, 24 students emerged champions in their respective divisions to earn the right to represent Dubai Educational Zone (DEZ) in the State School Chess Championships in May.
Players from the Dubai Chess and Culture Club and the Dubai Chess Academy led the winners in the recently concluded Dubai Educational Zone Chess Championship 2016-2017 season, which attracted 182 players from 34 schools competing in 12 divisions each for girls and boys.
Mohammed Al Husseini, executive director of the Dubai Chess and Culture Club, which organised and hosted the event, said the competition has helped identify new talents who could become the UAE’s next international grandmasters.
He added that the tournament also serves as a fundamental element in the club’s grassroots development program, in collaboration with the different schools in the emirate.
Ali Abdel Aziz of Dubai Secondary School and Roudha Fareg of Suqqeina Bint Husseyn School led the winners by claiming the grade 12 gold medals in the boys’ and girls’ divisions respectively. AbdelAziz won first place ahead of silver medallist Mohammed Marwan of Etihad Private School, while Fareg pulled ahead of second-placer Jawaher Khalil of Asma Bint Nouman School.
Suqqeina Bint Husseyn School dominated the girls’ competition in the higher grade levels after claiming two more gold medals in grades 10 and 11 ahead of students from Dubai National School.
Kaltham Anwar won the grade 10 gold over Rand Mahmoud, while Iman Abdel Jalil took the gold in grade 11 over runner-up Amna Hmaid.
It was Gems Modern Academy, however, that won the most championships with four gold medals in the boys’ division.
Jasmeher Kathurja and Fawwazz Khan won in the higher grade levels, picking up the gold medals in grades 10 and nine respectively, while Gurmehir Singh and Aarav Namriar secured first place in grades six and one.
Sanath Santosh of Gems Our Own Indian School and Salem Ahmad of Omar Bin Khattab School were relegated to second place in grades 10 and nine, while Madhav Binu of Gems Our Own Indian School and P. L. Sai Krishna of Delhi Private School settled for the silver medals in grades six and one.
Al Etihad Private School joined the multi-gold winners with first-place finishes by Abdullah Mahmoud in the boys’ grade four competition, Ghalia Mohammed in girls’ grade eight and Nooral Zahra Nasr in girls’ grade nine.
Shiram Vuppu of Delhi Private School was second in the boys’ grade four, while Shahad Essa of Al Khansa School and Shaikha Anwar of Nadd Al Hamar School took the silver medals in girls’ grades eight and nine respectively.
The other top two finishers in the boys’ division were Alex George (gold) of Repton School and Madhav Menor (silver) of The Indian High School in grade two; Aarchit Vimal (gold) of The Indian International School and Sushant Vuppu (silver) of Delhi Private School in grade three; Vishal Choudary (gold) of Gems Our Own Indian School and Rishad Johary (silver) of Our Own High School Warqa in grade five; Khalifa Essa (gold) of Omar Bin Khattab School and Karthik Praveen (silver) of Indian High School in grade seven; Atharv Naik (gold) of Cambridge International School and Pranav Chandrashekhar (silver) of Our Own High School Warqa in grade eight; and Sultan Fareed (gold) of Wuhaidha School and Mathew George (silver) of Delhi Private School in grade 11.
The top two finishers in the rest of the girls’ division were Ziana Singh (gold) of Gems Wellington International School and Anahi Varma (silver) of Gems Modern Academy in grade one; Hajr Saeed (gold) of Gharnata School and Sheikha Sami (silver) of Al Saada School in grade two; Habiba Ahmed (gold) of Mawakeb School and Dheepika Nair (silver) of The Millennium School in grade three; Sarah Ahmed (gold) of Second December School and Nada Nasr (silver) of Etihad Private School in grade four; Anood Ahmed (gold) of Namudajiya School and Ahlam Rashed (silver) of Gharnata School in grade five; Shamma Habib (gold) of Nadd Al Hammar and Shriya Karla Pudi (gold) of Gems Modern Academy in grade six; and Priyanka Nair (gold) of The Millennium School and Tala Al Nasser (silver) of Al Mawakeb School Gharhoud in grade seven.
Ibrahim Al Bannai, chairman of the Dubai Chess and Culture Club, and Ahmad Khalifa Al Thani, vice-chairman, handed out the medals to the winners during the awarding ceremony. Al Husseini led the organising team of the event, assisted by club trainers Elena Nekrasova, Eva Videnova, Andjelija Stojanovic, Davorin Kuljasevic and administrative staffs Moheb Siraj and Ibtisam Muhyiddin.
Final standings
Boys Grade 1
Gold: Aarav Namriar – Gems Modern Academy
Silver: P. L. Sai Krishna – Delhi Private School
Boys Grade 2
Gold: Alex George – Repton School
Silver: Madhav Menor – The Indian high School
Boys Grade 3
Gold: Aarchit Vimal – The Indian International School
Silver: Sushant Vuppu – Delhi Private School
Boys Grade 4
Gold: Abdullah Mahmoud – Etihad Private School
Silver: Shiram Vuppu – Delhi Private School
Boys Grade 5
Gold: Vishal Choudary – Gems Our Own Indian School
Silver: Rishad Johary – Our Own High School Warqa
Boys Grade 6
Gold: Gurmehir Singh – Gems Modern Academy
Silver: Madhav Binu – Gems Our Own Indian School
Boys Grade 7
Gold: Khalifa Essa – Omar Bin Khattab School
Silver: Karthik Praveen – Indian High School
Boys Grade 8
Gold: Atharv Naik – Cambridge International School
Silver: Pranav Chandrashekhar – Our Own high School Warqa
Boy Grade 9
Gold: Fawwazz Khan – Gems Modern Academy
Silver: Salem Ahmad – Omar Bin Khattab School
Boys Grade 10
Gold: Jasmeher Kathurja – Gems Modern Academy
Silver: Sanath Santosh – Gems Our Own Indian School
Boys Grade 11
Gold: Sultan Fareed – Wuhaidha School
Silver: Mathew George – Delhi Private School
Boys Grade 12
Gold: Ali Abdel Aziz – Dubai Secondary School
Silver: Mohammed Marwan – Etihad private School
Girls Grade 1
Gold: Ziana Singh – Gems Wellington International School
Silver: Anahi Varma – Gems Modern Academy
Girls Grade 2
Gold: Hajr Saeed – Gharnata School
Silver: Sheikha Sami – Al Saada School
Girls Grade 3
Gold: Habiba Ahmed – Mawakeb School
Silver: Dheepika Nair – The Millennium School
Girls Grade 4
Gold: Sarah Ahmed – Second December
Silver: Nada Nasr – Etihad Private School
Girls Grade 5
Gold: Anood Ahmed – Namudajiya School
Silver: Ahlam Rashed – Gharnata School
Girls Grade 6
Gold: Shamma Habib – Nadd al Hamer
Silver: Shriya Karla Pudi – Gems Modern Academy
Girls Grade 7
Gold: Priyanka Nair – The Millennium School
Silver: Tala Al Nasser – Al Mawakeb School Gharhoud
Girls Grade 8
Gold: Ghalia Mohammed – Al Etihad Private School
Silver: Shahad Essa – Al Khansa School
Girls Grade 9
Gold: Nooral Zahra Nasr – Al Etihad Private
Silver: Shaikha Anwar – Nadd Al Hamar School
Girls Grade 10
Gold: Kaltham Anwar – Suqqeina Bint Husseyn
Silver: Rand Mahmoud – Dubai National School
Girls Grade 11
Gold: Iman Abdel Jalil – Suqqeina Bint Husseyn
Silver: Amna Hmaid – Dubai National School
Girls Grade 12
Gold: Roudha Fareg – Suqqeina Bint Husseyn School
Silver: Jawaher Khalil – Asma Bint Nouman School
