The opening round of the Asian Amateur Chess Championship started in Muscat on Thursday with thrilling competitions. Some of Oman’s representatives managed to register victory in the first round as Salim al Amri won his game against UAE’s Abdullah Younis while Manaa al Katheri registered a triumph over his rival Ali al Balushi.
In the other interesting fixtures, Oman’s Said Ahmed edged UAE’s Ahmed Younis while Adnan al Jahwari from national team defeated Kuwait’s Talal al Manaseer. Oman’s AbdulRahman al Zadjali worked hard to record a victory over Indian player Anoosh.
Also, Oman’s Salim Issa managed to beat India’s Obri. The match between Oman’s Ameen al Ansi and UAE's Ghaith al Naimi ended in a draw.
Said al Mamari stunned Lebanon’s Mahmood Maasarani. The domestic young player Anas al Darwashi beat Yemen’s Murad ba Ameer. Oman’s Mohammed al Omri prevailed over his team-mate AbdulRahman al Yahmadi. Khalfan al Hosni registered a win over India’s Nashikethia. Oman’s Mohammed al Mamari and Musallam al Amri ended their games over UAE’s Hamed Mohammed and UAE’s Ammar Said on victory notes.
In the women's section, Al Anood al Ghafri from Oman beat Iran’s Sajada Zahmati while Kawthar al Mamari beat UAE’s Aisha al Shamsi. Al Anood al Ayesai suffered defeat from UAE’s Mooza al Shamsi while Afra has been defeated by Palestine’s Eman Sawan.
Omani players coached by Yemen's Basheer al Qudaimi and Iran's Mersad Khuda, made some intelligent strategic decisions during their games while the others worked hard to retain their top position in the standings and pile the pressure on the rivals. It is expected the Omani players have good chances to impress and register top places in the tournament.
The Asian chess event was inaugurated earlier on Thursday under the auspices of Chairman of Muscat Municipality, Ahmed bin Mohammed al Humaidi.
The championship is under way in Muscat at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex and will run until Wednesday with participation of 204 players representing 23 countries including: Bahrain, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippine, Palestine, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and hosts Sultanate of Oman.
The chief guest of opening ceremony, Ahmed bin Mohammed al Humaidi, Chairman of Muscat Municipality, appreciated all the efforts that has been taken by Oman Chess Committee (OCC) to organise the event in corporation with Asian Chess Federation. “A special thanks to the OCC members for organising this major event in Muscat city. Chess is one of the favourite sports for many of amateur players. Attendance of more than 200 players representing different nations is a good achievement for the organisers. Presence of these sporting events in Muscat city will enhance the position of Oman and Muscat city in the map. The event is a crucial tool towards boosting sporting tourism in the city,” he added.
The chief guest highlighted that the participants in this event will always seek for culture of the country. “The players will get the chance to discover more about the hosting city and it is a great chance for them to explore more about Muscat city. Muscat Municipality will be a good supporter to any major sporting event in the capital city,” he ended.
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