Al Ain [Dubai], November 4: Continental chess presidents and senior international officials inaugurated the fourth edition of the FIDE World Junior Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships in Al Ain, where an intense opening day ended with five players sharing the Open lead and three tied at the top of the Girls' standings, all with perfect scores after three rapid rounds.
Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the championships are organised by Al Ain Chess & Mind Games Club in cooperation with FIDE and the UAE Chess Federation. The event runs from 1 to 7 November at Danat Al Ain Resort, bringing together 150 players from 40 countries.
The opening brought together Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Sultan bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation, Chairman of Al Ain Chess & Mind Games Club and Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee; African Chess Confederation President Bernard Wanjala; and Confederation of Chess for the Americas President Jose Antonio Carrillo Pujol.
Also attending were Javier Ochoa de Echagüen, FIDE Honorary Vice-President and President of the Spanish Chess Federation; Hulkar Tohirjonova, President of FIDE's Central Asian Zone; Özgür Solakoğlu, FIDE Technical Delegate; and representatives of national federations and participating delegations.
Following the UAE national anthem, Sheikh Sultan welcomed the players and delegations, highlighting the championship's role in bringing young talent together through competition, friendship and the shared values of concentration, discipline and sound decision-making.
He expressed his gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Ain Region. He also thanked H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his patronage, alongside the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, FIDE, the UAE Chess Federation and the event's organising partners.
Sheikh Sultan noted that the championship coincides with Al Ain's designation as the Arab Capital of Tourism for 2026, offering visiting delegations an opportunity to discover the city's heritage, landmarks and hospitality.
Javier Ochoa delivered the FIDE address before Sheikh Sultan officially declared the championships open and joined the distinguished guests in making the ceremonial opening moves on the top Open and Girls' boards.
Five players won all three opening games to share the Open lead on three points: Artem Uskov, India's Pranav V and Praneeth Vuppala, Kazakhstan's Satbek Akhmedinov, and Artiom Stribuk.
In the Girls' competition, Kazakhstan's Zarina Nurgaliyeva, Russia's Valeria Kleymenova and Uzbekistan's Umida Omonova finished the day tied for first place with three points each.
Just half a point behind are Eline Roebers of the Netherlands, Aliaksandra Tarasenka of Belarus, and Russia's Marina Kuznetsova and Margarita Bendik, setting up closely contested encounters in the coming rounds.
Among the UAE players, Hamad Essa Al-Bl ooshi and Husain Ali Alhammadi each collected two points in the Open competition, while Rouda Essa Alserkal scored 1½ points in the Girls' event.
The nine-round rapid championships continue until 4 November, followed by the blitz competitions on 5 and 6 November.
The event marks the third world championship milestone hosted by Al Ain Chess & Mind Games Club, following the World Cities Chess Championship for the Sheikh Zayed Cup in 2012 and the World Youth Chess Championships in 2013.
Al Ain's continental hosting record also includes the Asian Club Championships in 2008 and 2016, the Asian Youth Championships in 2007 and 2023, the Asian Individual Championships in 2015 and 2025, and the Asian Amateur Championship in 2024.
Guided by its vision to be "a world-class community sports institution," the club has combined major international hosting achievements with success over the board, including winning the Asian Club Championship in 2008 and the World Rapid Team Championship in 2024.
Source: Emirates News Agency
