Parents favour chess as pastime for children

Abu Dhabi: Chess, the sport of kings and the sport of brains, is one of the most popular pastimes in the world and the UAE in particular.

Historically, the UAE won its first ever international achievement in chess when Saeed Ahmad Saeed won the World Youth Championship in 1981. The country also hosted their biggest ever international event when Dubai organised the Chess Olympics during the mid-1980's.

Chess is deeply rooted in the culture and heritage of the Arab world, as the Caliph during the early decades of Islam used to play chess matches against his counterpart of the Roman Empire and moves were relayed by horsemen. The Arabian peninsula practiced chess soon after its discovery in India.

"Chess builds the brains not the brawns," said Hussain Abdullah Khory, a former UAE national chess team player and Vice Chairman of the UAE Chess Federation and the Financial Director and the Chairman of Professionalism at the Abu Dhabi Chess and Cultural Club (ADCCC).

"That is one of the main reasons why parents are keen to encourage their children to practice chess more than other sports, which some regard as a waste of time. They also believe their children should benefit from the time they spend in other sports, which takes them away from studying."

He continued: "The gates of the ADCCC are open to all, both nationals and expatriates. We have a daily attendance that ranges from 150 players during competitions to 50 on regular days. We have two types of competitions - open tournaments that are for all, and domestic competitions organised by the UAE Chess Federation for national players only.

"The ADCCC is open for the locals and expatriates to practice the game without any fees from 5pm to 11pm daily and during Ramadan from 9:30pm to 2am every night. We expect a large number of players during Ramadan."