Open chess tournament in Abu Dhabi; Three grandmasters among 400 players will compete on Saturday

400 players representing over 20 different countries will compete on Saturday in an open chess tournament in Abu Dhabi, including three grandmasters. The Abu Dhabi Indian Islamic Centre, in collaboration with Mind Games and the Abu Dhabi Chess Club, is hosting the competition.

Among the other elite players competing will be Azerbaijan's 84-ranked grandmaster Arkadij Naiditsch, a former top-20 player, according to Bogdan Garbea, head coach of Mind Games and the Abu Dhabi Chess Club.

According to Saeed Ahmad Al Khoori, executive director of Mind Games and the Abu Dhabi Chess Club, the club, which was established in 1979, will keep holding these competitions. The FIDE-rated open category competition will take place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., while the under-16 category tournament will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first-place winner in the open category will get Dh3,000, followed by Dh2,000 for second place, Dh1,000 for third place, and Dh1,000 for the top female player. Junior category winners will earn prizes ranging from Dh1,200 (first place) to Dh500 (fifth place) and Dh500 for the best female player, respectively. A certificate of participation will be given to each participant.