DOHA: The third edition of the Qatargas Chess Championship start yesterday at Al Muntaza Model Primary School for Boys.
The four-day event is being organsied by Qatar Chess Association (QCA) with sponsor help from Qatargas.
The event is for youngsters falling between the ages of 6 to 16. The tournament will be conducted as per the Swiss-system for rapid chess involving nine rounds with each round lasting 25 minutes, a QCA official said.
Mohammed Al Medaihki, General Secretary of QCA said the tournament will attract around 250 young players.
Commenting on Qatargas’ support for the championship, Azam Abdulaziz Al Mannai, Qatargas Public Relations Manager said: “We are pleased to continue our support to the Qatar Chess Association in organizing this tournament, which will provide an excellent opportunity for young chess enthusiasts in Qatar to compete against each other and hone their skills.”
“Our support to the game of chess is part of a strategy we have adopted in promoting sporting activities that are gaining popularity in Qatar. The aim of this strategy is to help in nurturing young talents in the country by creating opportunities for them to develop further, thereby contributing to achieving the Human Development goals of Qatar National Vision 2030,” he added.
Al Medaihki ‘thanked’ the sponsors for their ‘support’.
“We thank Qatargas for its continued support to this championship which will help to further promote the game of Chess in Qatar particularly among the youngsters,” Al Medaihki said last week.
“The past two editions of the tournament were a great success and we hope to attract even more participants this year. Chess, as we all know, has great benefits in terms of enhancing the mental skills of children and boosts their academic achievement.
“Qatargas’ support to this event underlines the Company’s commitment to the local community and its keenness in supporting the overall development of our young generation.” The Peninsula
