Jumeirah College claims top prize at Dubai chess championships

Sunmarke School and Hartland School came second and third respectively

Pupils from Jumeirah College took first prize at the Chess Knowledge tournament on Thursday. All photos: Chess Knowledge

The event attracted a total of 60 pupils from 14 different schools in the emirate, all battling it out for the top spot

The Chess Knowledge tournament takes place five times a year and was held at the International Academy in Emirates Hills on Thursday

The pupils from Sunmarke School came in second place. Players included Davron Yakubov, Jad Sobh, Assylmurat Adil, Tamerlan Seydaliyev and Flavio Saffioti

The third-place winners from Hartland School include Alex George, Shadi Bou Fakr, Jiwon Im, Raymond Fayad and Ziana Sing

Jad Sobh, a 17-year-old Canadian pupil at Sunmarke School, said his team secured a well-deserved second place in the tournament

Ziana Sing, a pupil at Hartland School, plays during the tournament

Flavio Saffioti from Jumeirah College plays during the tournament

Assylmurat Adil, a 17-year-old pupil at Sunmarke School, plays during the tournament

Chess players engrossed in calculated moves and plotting strategic triumphs

Alexandra Grishina, the founder of Dubai Chess Knowledge

Jumeirah College has won first place in a Dubai chess competition.

Sunmarke School came in second place, while Hartland School took home the third place gong.

The Chess Knowledge tournament, which takes place five times a year, was held at the International Academy in Emirates Hills on Thursday.

The event attracted a total of 60 students from 14 different schools in the emirate battling it out for the top spot.

Students Talal Arip, Shaurya Garg, Vivan Rana, Nikunj Goenka and Daniel Merchant secured the first place prize for Jumeirah College with scores of 19.5, 75.5, 56.25 and 62.5.

"I am filled with joy and a strong sense of pride in my team's accomplishments," Vivan Rana, 13, told The National.

"The tournament required me to dedicate one to two weeks of preparation, building upon my one-year experience in playing chess.

"For aspiring participants in future tournaments, I highly recommend committing to a daily practice routine of three to four hours," he said.

Other schools that took part in the competition include Dubai International Academy (Emirates Hills), The Aquila School, International School of Creative Science, Al Salam Community School, Horizon International School, Gems International School, Greenfield International School, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Jebel Ali School, Raffles World Academy and The Sheffield Private School.

The chess tournament was streamed live on Facebook.

Jad Sobh, a 17-year-old pupil who competed for Sunmarke School, said winning second prize was incredible.

"I thought we ranked fourth in one of the rounds. However, we secured a well-deserved second place in the tournament," the Canadian told The National.

"The experience has left me filled with immense satisfaction and pride."

The second place winners who were on the team with Jad include Flavio Saffioti, Assylmurat Adil, Davron Yakubov and Tamerlan Seydaliyev.

Third place winners from Hartland School include Raymond Fayad, Shadi Bou Fakr, Alex George, Ziana Sing and Jiwon Im.

Chess Knowledge is an academy that has been running local and regional competitions since 2011.

It provides high-quality chess education to students across the UAE, and has introduced the game as part of the curriculum at ICE School, to enhance students' academic performance, critical thinking abilities and overall cognitive development.

"The academy provides chess as an extracurricular activity in over 30 schools across the UAE, and 400 students have enrolled so far," Alexandra Grishina, the founder of Chess Knowledge, told The National.

She added that the academy's main purpose is to promote the chess world through the organisation of chess tournaments, classes and events.

"In August, get ready for the exhilarating International Chess Knowledge Blitz in the vibrant city of Dubai," she said.