Dubai: Dubai Chess and Culture Club has signed contracts with three of the UAE’s top players as part of a programme to develop a new generation of elite grandmasters.
Fide Master (FM) Saeed Ishaq and Woman International Master (IMWIM) Omar Amna Noaman, both veteran international campaigners, and junior champion International Master (IM) Ibrahim Sultan officially became part of the club’s roster of elite players who will represent the club in various national and international tournaments.
The three players will also be tapped to share their expertise as instructors of at the Dubai Chess Academy, giving young talents an opportunity to train with some of the best players in the UAE.
Ishaq, Noaman and Sultan attended a contract signing ceremony in the presence of Ibrahim Al Bannai, president of the club, Jamal Abdouly, secretary-general, and Najib Mohammed Saleh, head of the technical staff.
Al Bannai said the club has made big strides in creating a professionally managed training and development program for up-and-coming players, as well as in providing support to the club’s elite players who are aspiring aspire to become the UAE’s next grandmasters.
He commended the club’s technical staff for playing a vital role in creating a the core training and development program that has served as the foundation for the various chess instructions provided by the Dubai Chess Academy.
“The move to bring these three exciting chess talents under our wings underlines the club’s confidence in the capabilities of our local talents and in the strong potential of these players to join the world’s elite, given proper training and guidance,” said Al Bannai.
In line with the club’s strategic goals, Saleh said a special training program has been prepared for the three players, who will be campaigning to secure the remaining requirements for the coveted grandmaster title.
Ishaq, the UAE’s back-to-back champion in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, said the club’s training programmes for elite as well as youth players have served as a catalyst in the promotion and growth of the sport of chess in the Dubai and across the country.
“The club’s year-round programs have helped keep the chess community active and engaged, which is very important in our efforts in finding and developing new talents across the country,” said Ishaq.
