Dubai Chess & Culture Club Professional Chess Club
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The UAE 54th National Day Rapid Chess Championship—organized by Dubai Chess & Culture Club as part of the National Day celebrations—wrapped up yesterday.
The tournament was inaugurated by Khalid Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Chairman of the Club’s Board of Directors, and was held in the Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Hall with 170 male and female players representing 29 countries, including 7 Grandmasters, 8 International Masters, and several titled and rated Players.
After nine intense rounds in a Swiss-system , Egyptian Grandmaster Ahmed Adly clinched the championship cup, securing the title after drawing his final-round showdown with American FIDE Master Hakobyan Eduard, who finished second overall.
Grandmaster Akopian Vladimir, Edward’s father, claimed third place after a hard-fought draw against Bulgarian Grandmaster Naiditsch Arkadij, who finished fourth.
Fifth place went to Filipino International Master Oliver Dimakiling, while Iranian Grandmaster Pouria Darini secured sixth position.
India’s Kavyansh Srivastava earned the special prize for Best Player Under 2000 Rating.
The championship was played from 2 to 3 December 2025, following a 9-round Swiss format. The event was headed by Emirati International Arbiter Abdulrahim Mahdi, supported by UAE International Arbiters Majed Ali Abdouli and Abdulla Ali, along with Yemeni International Arbiter Qasim Jamal. Assistant arbiters included UAE FIDE Arbiters Nawaf Ali Al-Mansoori and Hamed Ahmed Yousef.
