ABU DHABI // Members of Al Ain's winning chess club came home to congratulations yesterday from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The Al Ain Culture and Chess Club recently clinched both the Asian Club Chess Championship and the Asian Chess Federation titles. The club also has taken top honours at the national level, winning four gold medals at the Emirates Junior Chess Championship. According to WAM, the state news agency, Sheikh Mohammed praised the club for mastering the "intellectual game", adding that they had made their country proud.
"Our youth have excelled in individual games and helped make UAE's presence strongly felt in international arenas," he said. Meanwhile, young chess enthusiasts continued to test their skills last night at the Dubai Junior Open Chess Championship for children younger than 14. The competition features 135 players from more than a dozen countries vying for US$10,000 (Dh36,700) in prizes. The 10-day event continues at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club until August 5.
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