Members of the UAE chess team pose for a picture.

A 10-member UAE squad has left for Budapest where they will be participating in the 45th Chess Olympiad, which began on Tuesday, and will run until Sept.23 in the Hungarian capital. The team, sponsored by Emirates Airline, left from the Dubai International Airport.

The delegation is headed by Taryam Matar Taryam, President of the UAE Chess Federation, accompanied by Abdul Karim Al Marzouqi, Secretary-General of the federation.

Grandmaster Salem Abdul Rahman Saleh, Omran Al Hosani, Ammar Sedrani, Ibrahim Sultan and Ahmed Fareed will form the men's team. They will be accompanied by Armenian coach Vladimir Akopian and Saud Al Marzouqi, UAE Chess Federation's head of national teams committee.

Among the women, Candidate Master Rouda Alserkal will lead the challenge along with Wafiya Darwish Al Maamari, Essa Mariam, Zainab Al Maamari, and Anoud Eisa. Coach Walter Arancibia and administrator Aisha Al Hosani will be the support staff.

The presence of Taryam and his colleagues holds significance this year. Set to host the 47th Olympiad in 2028, Taryam will attend the General Assembly meetings of the world chess body, FIDE, while also setting the ball rolling for future planning.

"The UAE and the Chess Federation are working on long-term goals, especially preparing for the 2028 Olympiad to be hosted by the country," said Taryam.

"Accordingly, this team includes a group of young players who are being prepared for the future and will form the nucleus for the Olympiad in the UAE. There are also experienced players who we can bank on for achieving success and fame for the UAE on the global map."

Accompanying him on the administrative side will be Sultan Ali Al Taher, advisor to the FIDE Technical Committee; Saud Al Marzouqi, member of the FIDE Events Committee; and Mahdi Abdul Rahim, advisor to the Referees Committee. The latter will also be one of the international referees. Emirati referee Moza Al Maamari will achieve international status after her participation at the Olympiad.

Taryam confirmed that the federation has set a number of goals for their participation in Budapest, besides targeting medals and podium finishes in the various categories.

"The teams have prepared well through participation in a number of tournaments, the latest being the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival, in addition to training camps," Taryam added.

The Federation chief also thanked Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and the Group, for sponsoring the team, saying that national companies play a major role in achieving the country's sporting feats at any platform.

The 45th Olympiad in Budapest will also conclude the FIDE’s centennial celebrations of the sport which began in Paris. Incidentally, Budapest hosted the second Olympiad in 1926 and is hosting it again. The international event will be held in Tashkent next, followed by the UAE in 2028 to coincide with the year of the Los Angeles Olympics.