Competitive Asian Youth Chess Championships 2023 Concludes at the Al Ain Convention Centre

Abu Dhabi, 22 December – Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Al Ain Convention Centre, part of ADNEC Group, has concluded the Asian Youth Chess Championships (AYCC) 2023, which featured 1200 of the leading up and coming chess players from across Asia competing in various tournaments from 12 – 22 December 2023.

At the 25^th Asian Youth Chess Championships, 44 countries and their respected Chess Federations from across Asia competed in Rapid, Standard and Blitz Chess games. Over the course championship, the top three players in each event were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals, each contributing to their Federations overall score. Russia, competing under the FIDE flag, received the first place Standard Chess trophy, with a total of nine medals overall, followed by India with seven and China with four.  

Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation, President of the Emirates E-Sports Federation and President of Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club, attended the award ceremony for the Standard Chess Championship, as well as the President of the International Chess Federation, Arkady Dvorkovich, and His Excellency Abdullah Al Humaidan, Secretary-General of the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination.

This international event, organised in collaboration with Al Ain Chess Club and endorsed by the Asian Chess Federation, underscores ADNEC Group's strategic role in fostering the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s sporting, cultural and intellectual prominence on an international scale.

For the AYCC, the Ain Convention Centre transformed Al Khabisi Hall 1 into a world-class international chess venue. The 6,498 square meters of floor space in Al Khabisi Hall 1 was capable of hosting hundreds of chess matches simultaneously, creating the competitive atmosphere found at leading international championships, while the conference rooms at the centre hosted regular meetings of the committee of the championship. While the chess matches were taking place, Al Khabisi Hall 2 was used as an interactive cultural hub, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as a support zone for families, coaches and visitors at the event. Additionally, teams and individuals performed cultural presentations in the hall throughout the championship, where trophies and medals were awarded for inspiring displays of their culture and heritage.

Located in the heart of Al Ain city, the Al Ain Convention Centre is premier destination for sporting, cultural, corporate and social functions, with a state-of-the- art venue offering organisers a total space of 20,000 square meters.