The player of the national team and the Sharjah Chess Club, the international grandmaster Salem Abdul Rahman, won first place in the rapid chess championship within the Arab Individual Chess Championship for men and women, organized by the Arab Federation of the game and hosted by the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club, with the participation of 200 players, male and female, who hold Arab and international titles. From 18 countries.
The Emirati champion won the title after topping the overall standings with 5.5 points out of seven rounds, equal to three players: Algerian Bilal Belhassan, Egyptian Adham Fawzi, and Syrian Mazen Fandi, as he won the championship with tie-breaking advantage. In the women’s competition, Egyptian Joy Romani won first place, after scoring 6.5 points, equal to her compatriot Shahinda Wafa, who came in second place, and Rawda Al Serkal, a player from the national team and the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mental Games Club, won third place, after collecting five points.
The UAE male and female players raised their tally to five colorful medals, including a gold and a silver for the player Salem Abdul Rahman in blitz and blitz chess, a silver and two bronze for the player Rawda Al Sarkal in the blitz and blitz, and a bronze for the Sharjah Girls Chess and Culture Club player, Anoud Issa, in blitz chess.
For her part, member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Chess Federation and head of the Women’s Committee, Kholoud Al Zarouni, confirmed that “the tournament achieved several gains on the technical, organizational and administrative levels, through the hosting of the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club for the Arab event, and with the record participation of players holding international titles, which provided friction.” Strong for male and female national players with different schools and also increasing their international rankings.”
She said in press statements: “There were other additional gains from the tournament related to the participation of our referees in the tournament and increasing their experience in managing international matches.”
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