UAE’S Salem wins Arab Chess Championship
DUBAI: GM Saleh AR Salem of the UAE scored back to back victories in the last two rounds to emerge champion of the Arab Individual Chess Championship at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai.
Salem beat IM Basher Qudaimi of Yemen in the penultimate 8th round then beat I’M Mohamed Tissir of Morocco in the last round to finish alone on top with 8 points out of 9 rounds.
GM Bill Bellahcene of Algeria beat GM Ahmed Adly of Egypt and IM Amir Zaibi of Tunisia in the last two rounds to finish with 7.5 points alone in second place.
Adly and Al Qudaimi tied for 3rd and 4th places with 6 points each. Zaibi, GM Hichem Hamdouchi of Morocco and FM Rafat Issa of Jordan tied for 5th to 7th with 5.5 points each.
In the women’s division, Shahenda Wafa of Egypt beat WFM May Jaloul of Lebanon in the penultimate round then drew with Nabaa Sarn Abbas Attraqchi of Iraq to finish with 7.5 points in a tie with WIM Amina Mezioud of Algeria. Wafa won the tie break since she had beaten Mezioud in the 5th round.
WGM Schrook Wafa of Egypt won bronze after prevailing in a tie with WIM Sabrina latreche of Algeria at 6.5 points each.
The 9-round Swiss System tournament is organized by the UAE Chess Federation under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and sponsored by Emirates Air.