Muscat: The seventh edition of the Chess Club Tournament kicked off on Thursday, with the participation of 24 teams representing 17 clubs from various parts of the Sultanate of Oman. The tournament hosted by the Oman Chess Committee will continue until July 18 at the Amal Club.
Around 120 players, both male and female, converged in the capital Muscat to participate in the competitions. Each team consists of four main players and one reserve player. To raise the technical level of the tournament, the organising committee allowed each participating club with two classified teams to include a professional foreign player, provided that they are classified in classical chess.
The first round concluded with the victory of Masirah, Salalah, Al Salam, Al Nahda and Al Suwaiq teams, with their matches resulting in 4-0 scores. Qurayat, Seeb, and women's national teams also won 3-1, each team collecting two points in the tournament, which is being contested by 17 clubs. The participating clubs are: Al Shabab, Salalah, Al Suwaiq, Qurayat, Bausher, Saham, Seeb, Al Musannah, Al Khabourah, Al Salam, Bahla, Nizwa, Bidiyah, Al Kamil W'al Wafi, Nakhal, Al Nahda and Masirah, with the clubs of Salalah, Saham, Al Nahda and Masirah participating with two teams each.
The tournament is a real opportunity for fair competition between the clubs and to activate their activities in the game of chess. The tournament contributes to raising the technical levels of local players, especially the general category, and obtaining advanced positions in the international ranking. The tournament also provides a platform for friction and gaining experience, and strengthening the confidence of the technical staff of the national team, which seeks to discover talented players and include them in the ranks of the national team, and prepare them to represent the Sultanate of Oman in upcoming international tournaments, including the World Amateur Championship.
The tournament is expected to contribute to enhancing the capabilities of Omani players and giving them the opportunity to obtain international classifications and titles, which will enhance the status of chess in the Sultanate of Oman and contribute to the development of the sport locally and internationally.
Photos by Mohammad al Ghassani
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