31st Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival attracts more than 3,000 players representing 82 countries

Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the 31st Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival is set to take place from 15th to 24th August 2025.

Organised by the Abu Dhabi Chess & Mind Games Club under the supervision of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the event will be hosted at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche, with total prize money reaching AED 500,000.

This year’s festival marks a historic milestone with the largest number of participants ever recorded—more than 3,000 players from 82 countries. This represents an increase of over 500 players compared to the previous edition, positioning the festival among the world’s leading chess events, surpassing many prestigious international tournaments.

The festival will feature 27 tournaments catering to various age groups and skill levels. Highlighting the program is the Masters Tournament, alongside three newly introduced mind sports competitions: checkers, dominoes, and Chess960 (Fischer Random Chess). These additions reflect the festival’s growing diversity and its appeal to a wider audience of mind games enthusiasts.

Chess fans can look forward to the participation of the UAE’s top players, including Imran Al Hosani—West Asia Youth Champion, Arab Youth Champion, and UAE Men’s Champion—and Roza Issa Al Serkal. They will be joined by an elite lineup of world champions across different age categories, led by Masters Tournament top seed Sanan Sjugirov and second seed Arkadij Naiditsch.

Other notable UAE representatives include national champion Ammar Al Sderani, Arab Girls Champion Ahlam Rashid, Abdulrahman Al Taher, and Hamad Al Kaaf, competing in various age groups.

Beyond competition, the festival serves as a cultural and tourism platform for Abu Dhabi, offering participating delegations the opportunity to explore the capital’s iconic landmarks and rich heritage through accompanying tourism programs. This enhances Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a premier global destination for both sport and tourism.

Quoted from WAM agency with modifications.