The 31st Sharjah International Chess Championship has kicked off with intense competition among 180 players from various countries. After three rounds, 24 participants lead with maximum points. Local UAE players feature prominently in the early standings.
The championship began with an opening ceremony attended by key figures, including Taryam Matar Taryam, Chairman of the club; Nasser Abdullah bin Amer, Acting Secretary-General of the UAE Chess Federation; Imran Abdullah, Vice-Chairman of the club; and Sultan Al Taher, Technical Director of the UAE Chess Federation. Board members and leading local sporting community members were also present.
In the initial rounds, the leaderboard is closely contested. Twenty-four players share the top position with full points after three games. Notable leaders include Egyptian grandmaster Ahmed Adly, Iranian grandmaster Pouria Darin, and Moldovan grandmaster Viorel Iordachescu.
UAE representation is strong, led by Salem Abdulrahman, a star of the national team and member of the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club. Other frontrunners from the UAE are Ammar Al Sadrani from Fujairah, Abdulrahman Al Taher, Ahmed Fareed, Anoud Eisa, and Zayed Sultan Al Taher.
Further down, four players hold 2.5 points from two wins and a draw. Seventy-four competitors have two points after three rounds, while six have 1.5 points and 39 have one point. The event is shaping up as a competitive gathering in Sharjah.