Ayo Victor
Samarkand: The Qatari national chess team is competing at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, which runs from September 10 to 24.
The Qatari delegation includes players Hamad Al-Kuwari, Mohammed Irfan, Khalid Al-Jumaat, Mohammed Jarbi and Turki Al-Kuwari. International arbiters Yousef Khalil Al-Mahasneh and Sara Al-Muhannadi are also taking part in officiating the event.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has appointed Mohammed Al-Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Federation and FIDE Director of International Relations, to oversee the Olympiad. The appointment recognises his contributions to the development of chess internationally and the success of the World Chess Championship hosted by Qatar last December, which received strong praise from FIDE and participants.
Al-Mudahka expressed his pleasure at the appointment and thanked the international chess community for its confidence. He praised the efforts of FIDE under President Arkady Dvorkovich to advance the sport and said the coming period would focus on further developing chess across Asia. He noted that Uzbekistan’s hosting of the Olympiad reflects the country’s commitment to raising the profile of chess globally.
Al-Mudahka stressed the value of Qatar’s participation in major tournaments, saying it allows players to raise their level, gain experience and compete against the world’s strongest sides. He described the Chess Olympiad as the sport’s premier team event and a significant milestone for Qatari chess.
“We have confidence in the abilities of our players and look forward to them performing at the expected level,” he said. “Reaching the Olympiad is a significant achievement, but our ambition goes beyond mere participation; we aim to compete and secure the best possible results.”
In the opening round of the 11-round Swiss-system team competition, Qatar faced Bolivia. Hamad Al-Kuwari and Mohammed Irfan both lost, Khalid Al-Jumaat drew, and Turki Al-Kuwari was defeated. The team was due to meet Cape Verde in the second round.
FIDE was founded on July 20, 1924, in Paris during the Olympic Games, with representatives from 15 national federations. The Chess Olympiad is held every two years under FIDE’s supervision.
Qatar’s best recent result came at the 42nd Olympiad in Azerbaijan in 2016, when the team finished first among Arab nations and 48th overall.