The Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club team and the Shams Team registered perfect scores to lead the UAE Cup Rapid Chess Team Championship after five rounds on Saturday 15th March at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, UAE. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and standings.
The Al Ain team ACMG-2 is composed of Vladislav Artemiev, 27, who earned his GM title at the age of 16, and Volodar Murzin, 19, the reigning World Rapid Chess Champion, having won the event in New York last year.
In photo above, Artemiev (right) beat local bet GM Salem A.R. Saleh while Murzin beat GM Bassem Amin of Egypt in the 5th round against the Sharjah team.
The Shams team is composed of GM Viorel Iordachescu of Moldova and IM Mokhliss El Adnani of Morocco. In photo, Iordachecu (left) beat Kush Devnani (IND) of the Chess Wizards in the fifth round.
Tied with 4 match points each are teams of ACMG-2, We Chess, ACMG-3, Sharjah, Al Sayyah Masters, Signature Club Master, Master Moves Champions, EKCC-1 and Knight Riders.
A record 116 teams composed of players from 33 countries are seeing action over the weekend of 15-16 March. The tournament is a 9-round Swiss System with Rapid time control of ten minutes plus two second increments per move. Prizes are sponsored by National Paint and Sidrat Alsalwa Beauty Centre.
Teams are composed of two players. Fourteen top ranked Grandmasters and ten International Masters are seeing action.
Top seeds are the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club (ACMG-1) team of Artemiev and Murzin, the ACMG-2 team of GM Danil Dubov of Russia and GM Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran (average rating of 2678) in ACMG2. Russians GM Vladislav Artemiev and GM Volodar Murzin are in second seed ACMG1 (average 2669).
Emirati GM A.R. Saleh Salem and GM Bassem Amin of Egypt are in third seed Sharjah team (ave. 2618).
Top seed GM Danil Dubov (right) at the opening. Looking on are, from left, Dr. Nasrin Arsh Director of sponsor Sidrat Alsalwa Beauty Centre, UAE Chess Federation president Taryam Matar Taryam and Chief Arbiter Abdulrahim Mahdi.
Opening speech by Abdulrahim Mahdi:
Dear guests, I am pleased to welcome you to the opening of the Federation Cup for Institutions and Communities Chess Championship, organized by the UAE Chess Federation as part of the Year of Community 2025, the national initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, under the slogan “Hand in Hand” to promote unity and social cohesion.
This championship brings together 114 teams, with each player representing an institution or community, reflecting the diversity and cohesion of our society. It is not just a competition; it is a platform to promote cooperation and fair competition, and to showcase talent within the country.
The championship also falls within the framework of the National Sports Strategy 2031, which aims to increase the practice of sports within the community.
We would like to thank the Dubai Chess Club for hosting the tournament, as well as the official sponsor, National Paints, the sub-sponsor, Sidrat Al Salwa Beauty Center, and all the participating institutions and communities.
We wish you success and enjoy the competition.
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
Mahdi Abdulrahim
Tournament Director