Al Bannai - chess is growing fast

The impact of hosting international-level tournaments and participating in top chess event around the world are beginning to show, revealed Ibrahim Al Bannai, President of Arab Chess Federation and Dubai Chess and Culture Club.

Talking about the impact of the game among sports lovers in the UAE, after overseeing the final arrangements for the UAE Grand Prix, the inaugural event of the FIDE Grand Prix, commencing today, Al Bannai said: "The creditable performances of the players from this region in the international tournaments have attracted many people into the game here. We have also created an impact in the international chess arena."

Pointing out some of the major achievements of the players, Al Bannai said: "Chess has been bringing in more trophies from international tournaments into the country than any other sport. The performance of the players have made everyone proud."

According to Al Bannai, "it has been these good performances from the players that has made the government provide all support for chess. They know that the players are producing good results."

"In the last tournament in Jordan, we returned with eight medals. The standard of the players and number of the players are also increasing every year," he added.

"People have been playing chess here for more than 50 to 60 years. During those times there were either no federations or clubs. Today there are clubs as well as federations to provide facilities for the players. Every emirate now has chess clubs and even ladies chess clubs."

Citing Saeed Ahmad Saeed, who won the Under-14 World Championship in 1985, as an example, Bannai said: "Saeed showed that we can do well in international events. Many players are now currently doing well at international level competitions," he said.

With an aim to unearth more talent, now the game is also being spread at the schools level. "For over three years now we are spreading chess in schools. We want to see chess being played actively in every emirate," he added.

"We have also organised tournaments very well. The Dubai Olympiad is even now being talked about by players as one the finest events organised in this region. We are happy that FIDE selected Dubai for staging this inaugural event of the FIDE Grand Prix. We know that it has happened mainly because of the impact Dubai has created in the international scene through successful organisation of events and performance of players."

We are trying our maximum to give the best. We have even increased the prize money of the Dubai Open every year from $25,000 to $30,000 and to $35,000 this year. Now we have plans to make it one of the highest-prized open chess event in the world. We have many more dreams to achieve and we have more plans to give the best," concluded Al Bannai.