Muscat: The Muscat Nights International Chess Championship got off to a strong and competitive start, featuring 270 players from 35 countries, as one of the region’s leading international tournaments listed on the FIDE calendar.
The championship runs until January 23 and is hosted at Al Amal Club.
The opening round of the championship witnessed highly competitive and challenging encounters, with some matches lasting for long hours before their outcomes were decided.
This clearly reflected the close technical levels and strong readiness of the players from the very beginning, whether in the Above 2000 rating category or the Under 2000 category. This came after the completion of all organisational and technical preparations ahead of the official start of the competition.
Strong clashes in the Above 2000 category
In the Above 2000 rating category, the opening round produced notable results. Egyptian player Adham Kandil secured an important victory over Salim Al Amri in a match marked by high concentration and effective management of critical moments.
The encounter between Syrian player Mazen and Indian player Athraf ended in a draw after a balanced struggle on the board. Indian player Ayan achieved a deserved win over Yemeni player Khaled Walid, while Uzbek player Alisher defeated Indonesian player Tracy in a match that highlighted his clear tactical superiority. Egyptian Adham Fawzy also recorded an important win against French player Yanis, underlining his readiness to compete for the top positions in the championship.
Excitement and parity in the Under 2000 category
In the Under 2000 rating category, the results were equally thrilling. Amer Al Maashani claimed a significant victory over Indian player Krishna, while Iranian player Mousavi defeated Indian player Anish in a match that featured constant momentum shifts. Omani players continued to make a strong impression, with Salem Al Meshikhi earning a deserved win over Italian player Stefano.
The match between Sudanese player Asim and Rashid Al Balushi ended in a draw, as did the encounter between Mohammed Al Saeedi and Emirati player Shemma Al Suwaidi, in a game characterised by tactical calm and defensive discipline.
For his part, Chinese player Xiangheng Zhou, currently based in Melbourne, Australia, said that his participation in the Muscat International Chess Championship was motivated more by a love of experience and discovery than by the pursuit of results.
He explained that the tournament represents a special opportunity for him to return to competitive play after a long break from the game.
Zhou noted that he began playing chess during his primary school years, before stopping for a long period due to academic commitments during high school in Australia. He explained that his visit to the Sultanate of Oman was primarily for tourism, after learning about the country through one of his Omani classmates at school, who conveyed a positive image of Oman and its people.
This encouraged him to visit Muscat and take part in the championship at the same time. He added, My main goal is to discover the country and enjoy the atmosphere, not to compete for results.
The Chinese player expressed satisfaction with the level of organisation and the venue of the championship, stressing that everything is running smoothly and that the organisation is of a very high standard.
He also pointed out that participating in a tournament featuring world-ranked players provides him with the opportunity to broaden his horizons and gain new experiences, not only technically but also culturally, noting that exposure to Arab culture represents a new and enriching experience for him.
