Stage set for fifth Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The 5th Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship 2022, will kick off at Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club, with the participation of 80 players.

The championship will be held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and organised by the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club.

Top Grandmasters and International Masters representing 48 countries will compete in the championship, which carries $60,000 in prize money and takes place from Saturday, May 21st to May 29th.

On the sidelines of the 5th Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship 2022, the club will also host the 2nd Sharjah Challengers ICC 2022.

Fifty-five international players will take part in this event, with the aim of improving their rankings and gaining valuable experience.

Grandmaster Salem Abdul Rahman (Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club), Amran Al Hosani (Abu Dhabi Chess Club), International Master Saeed Ishaq (Dubai Chess Club) and FIDE Master Ammar Sedrani (Fujairah Chess Club) will lead the UAE charge at the 5th Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship 2022.

Sheikh Saud Bin Abdul Aziz Almualla, President of the Arab Chess Federation and Chairman of the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club, thanked and appreciated the support of Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammed Al Qasimi.

He also thanked Sharjah Sports Council and the sponsors of the tournament.

"The 5th Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship 2022 is regarded as one of the most important tournaments in the world, as it has attracted a good number of top Grandmasters and International Masters from across the world.

"The championship also provides a great opportunity for the top UAE players to compete along with them and gain experience," said Sheikh Saud.

"Due to its strong reputation, the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club has become a most sought-after destination for chess players throughout the world.

"The Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club's reputation has been solidified by the high level of organisation, as well as the remarkable success of FIDE World Chess Sharjah Grand Prix events for men and women, the World Stars Championship and earlier editions of the Masters Championship.

"Fans anticipate the Sharjah Masters due to its high-profile participants and huge prize pool," Sheikh Saud.

Rajai Al Susi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Federation, revealed that the Arab Chess Federation, based in Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club premises, has invited a number of Arab players from Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, Morocco, Iraq, Syria, and Sudan to participate in both tournaments, in collaboration with the organising committee, with the goal of helping them develop their skills.

He also stated that the number of international players competing in the Sharjah Masters tournament, including 60 male and female players, belong to the world's oldest chess playing nations such as Russia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, India, France, Spain, and Hungary," said Rajai.

"The participating players have made their mark on the world stage and bagged many international titles and continental achievements.

"Iran, Mongolia, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Australia are among the participating federations, in addition to the UAE and a number of other Arab countries.

"The 5th Sharjah Masters ICT 2022 is one of the strongest at the global level, bringing together the best international masters, international players, and title holders from around the world. The tournament's rating this year is 2551 points, making it the highest rated at the global level of all tournaments organised over the past three years," added Rajai.

Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Fedoseev, with a rating of 2701, is the top-seed at the tournament. Armenian Grandmaster Gabriel Sargissian, with 2694 points, is seeded second while the UAE’s Salem Saleh, with 2690 points, is third. Iranian Grandmaster Seyyed Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei won the Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship in 2021.

Fast Contracting Company, National Paints, and Centro Sharjah Hotel are the sponsors of the 5th edition of the Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship 2022.