emirates7 - Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the 31st edition of the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival will be held from 15th to 24th August 2025.
Organized by the Abu Dhabi Chess & Mind Games Club under the supervision of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the festival will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, offering total prizes of AED 500,000.
This year marks a record-breaking edition, with over 3,000 participants from 82 countries—a rise of more than 500 players compared to the previous year—positioning the festival among the world’s leading chess events and surpassing many prestigious international tournaments.
The festival will host 27 tournaments across different age groups and skill levels, headlined by the Masters Tournament. It will also introduce three new mind sports competitions: checkers, dominoes, and Chess960 (Fischer Random Chess), highlighting the festival’s growing diversity and appeal to enthusiasts of mind games.
Top UAE players will take part, including Imran Al Hosani—West Asia Youth Champion, Arab Youth Champion, and UAE Men’s Champion—and Roza Issa Al Serkal, alongside a distinguished lineup of world champions, with Masters Tournament top seed Sanan Sjugirov and second seed Arkadij Naiditsch leading the field. Other notable UAE representatives include national champion Ammar Al Sderani, Arab Girls Champion Ahlam Rashid, Abdulrahman Al Taher, and Hamad Al Kaaf.
Beyond the competitions, the festival serves as a cultural and tourism platform for Abu Dhabi, offering visiting delegations the chance to explore the capital’s landmarks and heritage through dedicated tourism programs, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a global destination for both sport and culture.
Organized by the Abu Dhabi Chess & Mind Games Club under the supervision of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the festival will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, offering total prizes of AED 500,000.
This year marks a record-breaking edition, with over 3,000 participants from 82 countries—a rise of more than 500 players compared to the previous year—positioning the festival among the world’s leading chess events and surpassing many prestigious international tournaments.
The festival will host 27 tournaments across different age groups and skill levels, headlined by the Masters Tournament. It will also introduce three new mind sports competitions: checkers, dominoes, and Chess960 (Fischer Random Chess), highlighting the festival’s growing diversity and appeal to enthusiasts of mind games.
Top UAE players will take part, including Imran Al Hosani—West Asia Youth Champion, Arab Youth Champion, and UAE Men’s Champion—and Roza Issa Al Serkal, alongside a distinguished lineup of world champions, with Masters Tournament top seed Sanan Sjugirov and second seed Arkadij Naiditsch leading the field. Other notable UAE representatives include national champion Ammar Al Sderani, Arab Girls Champion Ahlam Rashid, Abdulrahman Al Taher, and Hamad Al Kaaf.
Beyond the competitions, the festival serves as a cultural and tourism platform for Abu Dhabi, offering visiting delegations the chance to explore the capital’s landmarks and heritage through dedicated tourism programs, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a global destination for both sport and culture.