UAE Grandmaster Salem Saleh, a Dubai police officer and former world No. 44, discussed his chess career, the growth of chess in the UAE, and his admiration for D. Gukesh's world title win. The 33-year-old, currently ranked No. 86, highlighted government support and the impact of major tournaments on the sport's popularity. He remains on sports leave from his police duties.
Grandmaster Salem Saleh, recognized as the world's strongest chess player among policemen, has been with the Dubai Police in the quality control department. He worked during the pandemic to enforce safety protocols like social distancing and sanitizing. Saleh noted that while his department knew of his chess prowess, awareness was limited among the force's 23,000 employees, as chess lacks widespread popularity in the UAE.
His career took off with government backing when he neared a 2700 Elo rating, allowing sports leave to focus on improvement. Saleh credits major events for boosting chess in the UAE, including the 2021 World Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi in Dubai, the World Rapid and Blitz Championships, the Sharjah tournament, and the Fujairah Masters. "The organisers are doing a good job in the UAE, though there is always room for improvement," he said.
Introduced to chess by his brothers, UAE champions with peak ratings of 2300 and 2200 Elo, Saleh joined the Sharjah Chess Club and became serious after winning tournaments. A highlight was his 2015 Asian Chess Championship victory in Al Ain, a strong field featuring players like Vidit Gujrathi, S.P. Sethuraman, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, and Vishnu Prasanna, whom he defeated. He described it as one of his biggest wins, sparked by a tactical combination against a Chinese opponent.
Saleh attributes his tactical style to cultural influences emphasizing combinations as chess's beauty. The pandemic spurred interest, with self-taught players emerging via YouTube; he once faced a decent opponent using the Caro-Kann Defence learned online. Emerging talents include Rashid Alhammadi from Sharjah, while past prospect Saeed Ahmed Saeed reached 2435 Elo, beat Viswanathan Anand, but quit at 18.
On D. Gukesh's world title, Saleh expressed surprise, having beaten him in classical chess in Biel 2022 when Gukesh first crossed 2700. "I like his fighting spirit. He defends and fights till the end," Saleh said, referencing Gukesh's resilience even before Carlsen's table bang.
