RIYADH: It has for millenia been known as a battle of wits, tactics and skill. And at the inaugural Saudi Chess Competition, it is also about speed.
More than 100 players taking part in the contest, which started on Thursday in Riyadh, have no more than 10 seconds to make a move, and games last no longer than 15 minutes under “fast chess” rules.
A plodding affair it is not, and it chimes with the speed at which the game is progressing in the Kingdom.
Saudi Chess Federation President Abdullah Al-Wahshi opened the new Chess Competition days after his organization won the rights to host this year’s Asian Chess Championship.
Al-Wahshi said that the federation had worked hard to secure the rights.
“The Saudi team was able to convince the members of the General Assembly of the Asian Chess Federation after strong competition with the Chinese,” he said, adding that Saudi chess had improved its international profile over recent years.
“The big shift in the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019 had a significant impact on the international level and not only the local level,” Al-Wahshi said.
“They have given the Saudis great prestige and mastery in the international arena, especially with regard to organizational matters, prizes, and capabilities.”
The two-day Chess Competition, organized by the General Entertainment Authority in cooperation with the SCF, follows the laws and regulations of the International Chess Federation.
Players are competing through nine rounds based on the “Fisher” fast chess system, which forces quick, aggressive chess. The competition winner will be awarded SR300,000 ($80,000), second place gets SR200,000, and third SR100,000. There are additional prizes down to 10th place, said the GEA.
It is the idea of GEA Chairman Turki Al-Sheikh, who was appointed to the board of the chess federation last year.
“The idea of the chess competition launched by Turki Al-Sheikh is wonderful,” Al-Wahshi said. “I am really happy with Al-Sheikh joining the board of directors, and hope that this will contribute to making a big leap in its performance.”
“The current chess championship is the key to organizing more global and regional championships.”
Fast and furious chess comes to Riyadh
https://arab.news/5g4nt
Fast and furious chess comes to Riyadh
- More than 100 players taking part in the contest
- Saudi Chess Federation President Abdullah Al-Wahshi opened the new Chess Competition
KSrelief distributes clothing vouchers, shelter kits to hundreds in Lebanon, Afghanistan
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has distributed hundreds of vouchers across Lebanon to those most in need to buy winter clothing, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
KSrelief gave out 455 vouchers in Miniyeh district, and 420 in the Beirut and Akkar governorates, to orphans and people with special needs. The vouchers enable people to buy winter clothing from approved stores.
The agency also distributed 164 shelter bags in Afghanistan, benefiting 984 people as part of a shelter project for people returning from Pakistan and those affected by this year’s floods.
Saudi envoy attends Palestine solidarity event at Arab League HQ in Cairo
- Organization’s secretary-general: Israel making life for Palestinians ‘impossible’
- International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People organized by UN since 1977
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the Arab League, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Matar, attended an event marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at the organization’s headquarters in Cairo on Sunday.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, also attended, as did Saeed Abu Ali, an assistant on the Palestinian issue to Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, among other Arab ministers and officials.
They confirmed full solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle to achieve their legitimate rights of freedom and independence, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Aboul Gheit said Israeli actions in the Occupied Territories aim “at ending the Palestinian presence, liquidating the project of the Palestinian state, and forced displacement, by making the life of Palestinian society ... impossible.”
The Arab League honored UNRWA during a ceremony for its vital work in delivering aid and securing shelter for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People has been organized by the UN since 1977.
Events worldwide, including at the UN headquarters in New York, are planned yearly on Nov. 29.
Right on track: Riyadh Metro commuters on board with excitement
- Arab News speaks to commuters at King Abdullah Financial District Station
RIYADH: The Saudi capital is ending the year on a high as Riyadh Metro trains officially began running on Dec. 1.
Stations were buzzing with excitement across the blue, yellow, and purple lines as commuters celebrated the opening of a project which was 12 years in the making.
At the King Abdullah Financial District Station, which connects all three lines, Saudis, residents, and tourists spoke to Arab News about their eagerness to try out the city’s new mode of transportation.
Khalid Alohari, who was en route to visit his grandmother, told Arab News: “I live in the north, near to the KAFD Station, and my grandma is in the far east, so going by car was always a hassle. Now the metro will make visiting her so much easier. The experience is just phenomenal. I’ve been waiting for this.”
As a medical student at King Saud University, he was eligible for a 50 percent discount on all fares. He plans to use the metro system regularly to attend classes.
He added: “A month (of) using public transport, the metro, the buses, the supplementary cars, for just SR70 ($18) for a student, it’s just something we didn’t imagine could happen. I have a station close to my home. I’m going to take it to the university, and use it for the commute.
“As a medical student, I can use the 30-40 minutes of the commute to study, and it will also have a positive impact on my grades. It’s a win-win for everyone basically.”
He said that the metro will play a crucial role in reducing the growing traffic problem in Saudi Arabia, while also making transportation a greener experience as the system runs primarily on electrical energy rather than oil combustion.
Tourists Greg and Emma Turra were visiting Riyadh from Australia. Unsure how to spend their last day in the city, they decided to hop on the train to see where it took them. They were surprised to learn that the special day was the first they could have accessed the mass transit system.
Greg told Arab News: “We were just looking at a bit of time to waste on our last six hours, and what better way than doing this? It’s not every day you ride a train on its opening day.”
They started their journey from Alinma Bank Station on the blue line and made it to KAFD.
Emma said: “The first thing we saw was that it was brand new, modern, futuristic, and the architectural brilliance of it, really, is quite special.
“Everyone was so excited to be traveling on it — we couldn’t believe that. That’s how we realized that it was obviously the first day.”
She added that the system could be an attraction for tourists as the city’s traffic has been a well-known problem for tourists.
She added: “Before I came to Riyadh I was told the traffic was a nightmare. And when we arrived, we took close to two hours to get to our hotel. This line goes to the airport so that might be another option for people.”
Ameera Alrumaih, a student at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, told Arab News: “I've been thinking about this project for forever.
“I’ve been seeing it being built near our house. Every outing we have, I always see the metro. I’ve been excited for forever to try it.”
Alrumaih and her friend hopped on the train from the university to grab breakfast at KAFD, and headed back to continue their classes.
Alrumaih said: “We traveled from our university to KAFD in less than 10 minutes, which is so much easier, especially for me. I think I would use it. I live in the east so from east to east I’ll still use my car, but from east to north I think I’ll use the metro.
“I’ve tried the metro in Istanbul and London. I think (in Riyadh) it is much clearer, much nicer and well-lit.”
Commuter Osama Alharbi arrived at KAFD Station from Khurais Road with a sense of pride, and said: “It was so easy to come here. It’s around 15 or 20 minutes around this time but if you take a car from my house to KAFD, maybe an hour.
“When I came to the train station the support was so amazing. The (station managers and assistants) came up to the door to bring me to the ticket (machine) and tell me about the prices.”
The only issue he noted was that there was no clear direction between the standard and first-class sections so travelers could easily hop in any of the cars.
Saudi crown prince arrives in UAE on private visit
- Prince Mohammed was greeted by the UAE’s president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on arrival
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in the UAE on Sunday on a private visit, Saudi Press Agency reported.
He was greeted by the country’s president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on arrival.
Earlier on Sunday, the crown prince participated in a Gulf Cooperation Council summit held in Kuwait.
Saudi and Ethiopian diplomats discuss cooperation in Riyadh
- Talks focus on regional and international affairs and ways to strengthen the relationship between Riyadh and Addis Ababa
RIYADH: Saudi and Ethiopian diplomats held a round of political consultations and talks in the ministry of foreign affairs’ official diwan in Riyadh on Sunday to discuss cooperation in various fields.
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji chaired the meeting with the Ethiopian delegation led by Mesganu Arga Moach, the state minister of foreign affairs at the foreign ministry in Addis Ababa, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two sides discussed the latest developments in regional and international affairs, ways to strengthen cooperation, and the friendly relationship between Riyadh and Addis Ababa.
In August, the two countries established the Saudi-Ethiopian Business Council to strengthen economic ties and enhance trade and investment opportunities for the period 2024 to 2028 term.
The meeting on Sunday was attended by Fahad Alhumaydani, the Saudi ambassador to Ethiopia; the director of the general department of expatriate affairs at the foreign ministry, Mohammed Al-Shammari; and the Ethiopian ambassador
