MUSCAT: The sixth edition of the Oman Individual Chess Championship for women and girls under 16 years old kicks off at the Al Amal Club on Thursday. Organised by the Oman Chess Committee (OCC), the championship spans four days, running from February 8 to 11. Its primary objective is to identify and select talented individuals to represent the Sultanate of Oman in the forthcoming Gulf Olympic Games scheduled for April.
The championship aims to activate the clubs' activity in chess and elevate the technical levels of the players, providing a good environment for interaction, gaining experience, and working on gaining the confidence of the technical teams of the national team and preparing to compete for the honour of representing the Sultanate in the upcoming international meetings.
Basma bint Said al Sadeeri, a member of the OCC, highlighted the significance of the championship within the broader plan of the Oman Chess Committee. She emphasised its role in fostering competitive spirit and identifying top talent among women and girls under 16 years old. Participants vie for the opportunity to compete in the Gulf Olympic Games, Asian Championship and Russian Championship, demonstrating the committee's commitment to nurturing excellence in chess.
This year's championship features 22 players in the general category and 16 players in the under 16 categories, representing various clubs in Oman. Its competitions are held according to the Swiss system with seven rounds.
She added that the championship is expected to witness strong competitions in both categories for women and girls under 16 due to the participation of a number of emerging players and the general category, including the top-ranked player Yamna al Nidabi with a ranking of 1493, the second-ranked Anaa al Issaiya with 1439, and the third-ranked Kawthar al Maamari with 1322.
As for the participants in the under 16 category, among them is the top-ranked player Maryam al Balushi with 1280, and the second-ranked Duaa al Maqbalia with 1138, who benefited from previous tournaments, courses, educational workshops and the school chess programme supervised by the committee to increase the number of practitioners and raise the levels.
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