Friday 10 / May / 2024
Muscat: Muscat is all set to host the FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships for Open and Women 2023, an event that is poised to captivate chess enthusiasts worldwide from November 1 to November 11 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
Organised by the Oman Chess Committee, details of the event were officially unveiled during a press conference on Monday. The committee underscored their meticulous organisational, technical, and administrative preparations to ensure the resounding success of this world meet.
At the press conference, Ahmed bin Darwish Al Balushi, the Oman Chess Committee Chairman, extended a warm welcome to attendees and conveyed the committee's unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional experience for both participants and the global chess-loving audience.
The 2023 edition of the championship promises to be extraordinary, with 427 players hailing from 64 countries set to participate, including 356 male players and 71 female players. Eligibility extends to all players boasting FIDE ratings below 2300. The championship's competitive spectrum spans six titles within three distinct categories: Open & Women Under 1700, Open & Women Under 2000, and Open & Women Under 2300.
The championship's opening round, scheduled for November 2, will be under the patronage of Said bin Sultan Al Busaidi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth for Culture.
The event will also see the presence of prominent figures from various Arab and international chess federations, including the President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Asian Chess Federation.
The decision to entrust Oman with hosting this championship reflects FIDE’s confidence in the Oman Chess Committee's capacity to host a world-class chess competition.
In the Under 1700 category, 270 players, comprising 210 males and 60 females, are vying for supremacy while in the Under 2000 category, 96 players, including 74 male participants, and in the Under 2300 category, 74 players, with 69 male contenders, seek to battle to the title.
Hosting this championship is also part of the Oman Chess Committee's strategic vision to bolster the chess community in the country by attracting more players, referees, and new clubs. Additionally, it aims to elevate the international ranking of some of their players, thereby contributing to the development and growth of chess in Oman.
Al Balushi said that the organising committee has planned a series of accompanying events. These include special excursions for participants to explore Oman's enchanting landmarks. Furthermore, an international training session for coaches will run during the championship to promote the game and enrich its cultural significance.
The committee is committed to organising daily activities for schools and children in the morning, with the goal of engaging around 100 children daily. Simultaneously, in collaboration with the Omani School Sports Association, the committee will host the School Chess Festival on November 2. This festival is designed to engage more than 1,000 male and female students from first-grade classes, representing nine educational directorates across various governorates. These include Al Dakhiliyah, Al Dhahirah, Al Buraimi, Dhofar, South Sharqiyah, North Sharqiyah, Muscat, and North Batinah.
The governorate-level festivals will feature a rich array of accompanying events, including face painting, children's performances, visual displays, plays, and diverse competitions, all designed to introduce chess in an engaging and captivating manner.
In a move to enhance coverage and foster greater engagement with the championship, a dedicated YouTube channel will be launched. This channel will feature specialised commentators proficient in both Arabic and English, in addition to technical experts and coaches from various national teams who will analyse the matches daily and highlight the most significant competitions on the chessboards.
Al Balushi announced that the championship will employ the Swiss system with nine rounds, with each round lasting 90 minutes and an additional 30 seconds allotted for each move. The competition will be officiated by 19 international referees, led by the Malaysian Abdul Hamid bin Abdul Majeed. Oman’s Muslim Al Wadaihi has been appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Referees Committee, which comprises Mehdi Babrazehan from Kazakhstan, Ahmed Ajami from Egypt, Asaad Tawfiq from Iraq, Abdullah Murad from the UAE, and Khalaf Al Haddadi from Kuwait, Other Omani members include Khaled Al Hadidi, Hamdan Al Hinai, Roqaya Al Balushi, Sultan Al Harasi, Ahmed Al Kharousi, Khadija Al Qasmi, Yasser Al Raisi, Younes Al Rashidi, Fatimah Al Ghareebi, Afra Al Balushi, and Aliyah Al Siyabi.
