Doha: The second edition of the Qatar Chess Cup for both men and women commenced on Sunday at the Qatar Training Center and will continue until September 13.
The tournament includes 30 players, with participation restricted to Qatari nationals, and is conducted using the Swiss system over seven rounds.
Mohammad Al-Mudahka, the President of the Qatar Chess Association (QCA), formally inaugurated the tournament by making the initial move on the top board between Grandmaster Hussein Aziz and his competitor Ali Al-Nuaimi.
Among the men’s competitors are Grandmaster Hussein Aziz, the top-ranked player in the tournament, along with several members of the Qatari national team: Irfan Mohammed (ranked second), Hamad Al-Kuwari (ranked third), Khalid Al-Jammat, Ibrahim Al-Janahi, Fahd Al-Mansouri, Abdulaziz Al-Mahasna, Turki Al-Kuwari, Mohammed Al-Qassabi, Saif Ahmed, Ali Al-Nuaimi, Khalid Al-Ziyara, Fahd Al-Mansouri, Mubarak Al-Hatmi, Khalifa Al-Maliki, and Mohammed Al-Subaie. In the women’s category, eight players are participating: Salama Al-Khalifi, Aisha and Ghada Al-Khalifi, Rawda and Layan Al-Qassabi, Asma Al-Hammadi, Aisha Al-Nuaimi, and Noura Al-Sulaiti.
In a statement, the President of the QCA conveyed his pleasure regarding the initiation of the tournament’s second edition, which will be the inaugural event to implement the new FIDE regulations.
Al-Mudahka added, “We have strived to develop this tournament, and it has been included in the Federation’s annual competition calendar. We aim to increase the number of participants in each edition.” The Chess Federation President explained that the purpose of this tournament is to select the best players to represent Qatar in future international competitions, and this was done in coordination with the technical staff of the national teams.
For his part, Hamad Al-Tamimi, the Executive Director of the Qatar Chess Federation, stated that the tournament is witnessing good participation from players on the national teams, noting that it is an important opportunity for them as part of their preparation for international competitions. Al-Tamimi added that the organizing committee was keen to provide a competitive environment for the national team players, in order to enhance their skills, assess their current level of performance, and help them develop further.
