125 players from 26 nations to compete in blitz chess at Mansour bin Zayed Championship – Al Wathba 2026

ABU DHABI, 6th March (WAM) – A total of 125 male and female players representing 26 nationalities will compete in the blitz chess competitions scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday as part of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Ramadan Championship – Al Wathba 2026.

The organising committee announced that 95 players will compete in the men’s category, representing 26 nationalities. Participants include 28 players from the UAE, 16 from India, eight from Egypt, four from Syria, and three each from the Philippines, France, Jordan and Sudan. Two players will represent Palestine, while Germany, Norway, Mexico, Italy, Oman, Romania, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Malta, Canada, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will each have one participant.

In the women’s category, 30 players from 10 countries will take part, including 14 competitors from the UAE.

Hussein Al Khouri, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, said the club’s participation in organising the competitions reinforces its pivotal role within the community and its sustained efforts across various events.

He noted that the initiative aligns with the club’s strategy to promote chess in line with the vision of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council to establish best practices in sports development.

Al Khouri also thanked the organising committee for allocating AED50,000 in prize money for the winners of the two tournaments and for providing all the requirements for the event’s success, which is taking place in the distinctive Ramadan atmosphere of Al Wathba with the presence of families and community members.