Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand to attend FIDE Centennial Celebration in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Indian grandmaster and five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand will be attending the FIDE Centennial Celebration to be held in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi was chosen as the venue for the 100th anniversary celebration as it has become the capital of global sporting events, enhancing its position after winning the bid to host the 2028 World Chess Olympiad.

The 47th Chess Olympiad is scheduled to take place between October 28 and November 11, 2028, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

The UAE capital will also be the last stop on the chess torch relay that began in New Delhi earlier this year and passed through five continents. The relay will reach Budapest next month where the 45th Chess Olympiad will take place.

The torch ceremony will be held at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi on Thursday at 5.30pm under the slogan ‘The World is One Family’.

The torch relay ceremony will also feature a photo exhibition that will showcase the history of the sport and the diversity of chess practitioners.

There will also be an exhibition match that will see World Youth Champion and African and Arab Champion Grandmaster Ahmed Al Adli being pitted against 15 players at the same time.

He will be joined by Grandmaster Ahmed Al Mudhahka, President of the Qatar Chess Federation and member of the Executive Office of the International Chess Federation, who will also play against 15 players.

Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival

A record number of over 2,200 chess players from 82 different countries are participating in the Abu Dhabi 30th International Chess Festival that is currently under way in the UAE capital.

The numbers is a significant increase compared to the 29th edition, which had 1,704 participants from 63 countries.

The participants were divided into different categories that included Masters competition, Open championship A, Open championship B, Juniors (under 16 years old) tournament, Open Blitz tournament, Juniors Blitz tournament (under 16 years), Family Team tournament, Community Teams tournament, Government Department Teams tournament, People of Determination tournament, the main Abu Dhabi Chess Academy tournament and the remaining Abu Dhabi Chess Academy tournaments subdivided into age categories of under 14, under ten and under 8.

Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, emphasised the wise leadership’s continuous support of all sports. “Abu Dhabi now stands tall on the stage of global competitiveness and hosts sports events in line with the best practices and highest international standards, contributing to the UAE’s and Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a global destination for athletes from all over the world.

“There is no doubt that the great efforts undertaken by the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club are among the most important reasons for the development of the game’s progress and the continuous growth in the increasing number of its practitioners. Furthermore, their keenness on development programmes that anticipate the future of the game alongside supportive programmes to discover and nurture talents adds momentum to the festival’s 30th edition, that has achieved a record participation rate of more than 2,200 male and female players.

“Chess in the UAE has witnessed significant and rapid development and now occupies a prominent position on the international scene. The country has shown great commitment to developing and supporting this sport at all levels, which has resulted in impressive results. Today, we are on the verge of a historic event represented by the UAE winning the honour of organising the 2028 Chess Olympiad after competing with Italy. This choice reflects the great confidence that the international community places in the UAE in organising major sporting events. This achievement is not a spur of the moment but rather the result of continuous efforts and investment in chess infrastructure and talent development, in addition to the support of our wise leadership. We look forward to hosting this global event and working to present an exceptional version that befits the reputation of the UAE and its history full of successes,” Al Awani added.

Hussein Abdullah Al Khoori, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, confirmed that the international event has become one of the most important and largest chess festivals in the world, having reached its 30th edition this year with record participation, including a group of the most prominent international players.

He said: “The festival has proven its position on the international chess map in the International Federation’s events calendar, in light of the great development accompanying over 29 consecutive years.

“The Abu Dhabi Festival has succeeded in becoming one of the most important ongoing chess events in the UAE and has gained a prestigious position on the international chess scene, winning the focus of most international players from around the world, which makes us proud of the position it has reached, thanks to the support and interest of the wise leadership, who have spared no effort to support sports and athletes.”