Dubai: Saeed Ishaq, who became the champion in the UAE National Men’s Chess Championship on Sunday, attributed his success to good “time management”. It had been a stupendous season for Fide Master Ishaq, who won a gold medal at the UAE Blitz Championship and then a fifth place finish at the Arab Elite Chess Championship–Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Cup behind some of the region’s finest Grandmasters.
Speaking to Gulf News, Ishaq said: “It has been a comeback year for me because I could not fully focus on chess for the last four years because of studies. I was studying to graduate as an engineer from the MIT University in the United States.”
Ishaq, who now works as an engineer in Road Transport Authority (RTA) now, manages his time well between his job and chess. “My job is also my priority like chess but unlike my studying days I am able to manage my time well. I leave after my office straight to Dubai Chess Club and practice regularly. Any time between 5pm and 8pm I make sure to train at the club,” he said.
Najeeb Saleh, Technical Director expressed his delight over Ishaq’s devotion towards the game and also fine performances from some of the Dubai Chess club players. “It has been a very productive year for Dubai Chess Club as we are seeing the results of our extensive training and player development program. We are confident that the new milestone achieved by Ishaq will serve as a springboard for him to pursue his dream of becoming the next international grandmaster of the UAE and also inspire a new generation of young Emirati chess players.”
Ishaq’s immediate target is to emerge as the best in the upcoming President’s Cup. “I had aimed to qualify for the President’s Cup by being among the top eight. By virtue of my recent performances I qualified as the first and I am now aiming to win it. I am working hard for this prestigious event to be held in Abu Dhabi next November.”
Ishaq did bring about some changes to his game too by creating a new opening. “Though I did change my approach, my success has to do a lot with managing my time with work and chess by making sure I get enough time to practice.”
Nabeel Saleh, another Dubai Chess Club player, had 6.5 points in men’s championship after the final round to join a five-way logjam but had the best tiebreak points to claim the runner-up prize. Dubai players Ali Faisal, Ahmad Fareed and Sultan Fareed took the seventh to ninth places, respectively, with six points apiece.
Ishaq and Saleh were also part of a victorious Dubai squad along with FM Othman Mousa, Najeeb Saleh and Suhail Tayyib who won the gold medal at the UAE Rapid Team Championship.
