Al Ain Chess and Mind Games present Echess Championship
Sydney, Australia – Marking its 25th anniversary, the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club proudly announces The Echess Championship: The Road to Al Ain, powered by Checkmate Live. This landmark tournament invites online chess enthusiasts and competitors worldwide to participate. Open to players of all levels, both rated and unrated, the championship includes regional qualifiers across multiple skill levels. The competition will reach its pinnacle in the prestigious Grand Final held in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, on December 22, 2024. About the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club Founded in 1999 and led by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Sultan bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan—President of the Asian Chess Federation and the Emirati Esports Federation—the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club has become a cornerstone of international chess, renowned for its achievements and contributions to the global chess community. Recognized for its commitment to excellence and competitive integrity, the club has fostered a vibrant chess culture in the UAE and beyond, culminating in notable victories, including winning the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Team Championship. This legacy underscores the club’s standing as a leading institution in international chess and highlights its dedication to advancing the game globally. As the club marks its 25th anniversary, it invites partners and players from around the world to join in an epic celebration alongside the Asian Amateur Chess Championship 2024. This celebration will be highlighted by an epic echess knockout tournament on Checkmate Live’s platform, styled after the high-energy, immersive format of esports competitions. The live final in Al Ain, UAE, on December 22, 2024, will showcase top talent in a dramatic showdown. The Grand Final will be held at the official venue, Danat Al Ain Resort. The club’s strategic partnership with Checkmate Live, a next-gen online broadcast and tournament platform, reinforces its vision for the future and underscores its dedication to advancing competitive chess and mind sports globally. The Road to Al Ain: A Global Chess Journey The Road to Al Ain invites players from across the globe to participate in a series of online qualifiers beginning on November 23, 2024, with skill-level divisions for Under 2000, Under 2300, and Open categories. Open to both rated and unrated players, these qualifiers will lead to the four Regional Finals, scheduled for December 7-8, 2024. Top contenders will advance to the Grand Final on December 22, 2024, in Al Ain. Key tournament highlights include: ● Global Inclusion: Open to both rated and unrated players, with divisions for Under 2000, Under 2300, and Open categories. ● Redemption Games: Players who do not qualify in their designated Elo division will have multiple opportunities to participate. If a player doesn’t qualify on their first attempt, they can enter additional qualifiers within their division or compete in higher Elo categories, creating thrilling opportunities for unexpected victories and upsets as competitors from all levels strive to advance. ● Bonus Rewards: Special prizes and rewards for female players, newcomers, and sportsmanship honorees. ● Continental Representation: Regional qualifiers hosted across four major time zones, each with four qualifiers per Elo division: ○ AO: Asia and Oceania ○ EAS: Europe and Southern Africa ○ MENTA: Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey ○ AM: Americas ● Generous Prizes: A total prize pool of $60,000 USD, including $35,000 in distributed prizes (USDC and in-game currency) throughout the tournament stages from Checkmate Live, with an additional $25,000 USD for the four-player Double Elimination Grand Final in Al Ain. ● Travel costs covered: Al Ain CMG provides flights, five-star accommodation, and meals for all Grand Final participants. ● Flexible Timing: Qualifiers are scheduled based on each player’s registered country to accommodate various time zones, ensuring global participation at convenient times. ● Travel and Accommodation: Finalists advancing to Al Ain will receive complimentary flights and accommodations, with the tournament’s Grand Final hosted at the luxurious Danat Al Ain Resort. Tournament Schedule and Structure Key Dates ● Weekend Qualifiers: November 23-24 and November 30 – December 1, 2024 ● Regional Finals: December 7-8, 2024 (four regional finals across major time zones) ● The Road to Al Ain Grand Final: December 22, 2024, Danat Al Ain Resort, Al Ain Stage 1 – Online Qualifiers The Online Qualifiers will consist of a 3+2 Blitz Swiss-format tournament (9 rounds) designed to advance top players from each division to the Regional Finals. The structure is as follows: ● Under 2000 Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top four players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals. ● Under 2300 Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top four players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals. ● Open Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top eight players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals. Stage 2 – Four Regional Finals Each zone—AO (Asia and Oceania), EAS (Europe and Southern Africa), MENTA (Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey), and AM (Americas)—will host a 3+2 Blitz single-elimination head-to-head KO tournament. In each zone, a total of 64 players (16 from the Under 2000, 16 from the Under 2300, and 32 from the Open division) will compete, with the top player from each region ultimately advancing to the Grand Final. Each matchup will consist of two games. In the event of a tie, an Armageddon game will determine the winner, ensuring a decisive outcome for each head-to-head encounter. Stage 3 – Grand Final The four regional champions will compete in a double double-elimination knockout format to crown the tournament champion in Al Ain. These finalists will battle head-to-head for the title and a share of the additional $25,000 USD prize pool. Grand Final Details The Grand Final on December 22 will showcase a fast-paced double-elimination showdown among the four regional champions at the Danat Al Ain Resort. Participants will contend for significant cash prizes while experiencing the cultural richness of Al Ain, one of the UAE’s oldest and most cherished cities. Registration Details Registration opens on November 15, 2024. Players interested in competing can register at Checkmate.live. Don’t miss the chance to join this landmark event and experience the
Ding Liren ahead of his World Championship showdown with Gukesh: “A match is a match”
In the run-up to the FIDE World Chess Championship at the end of November, where he will play against 18-year-old Dommaraju Gukesh, the reigning World Champion from China, Ding Liren, gave an interview where he spoke about the challenges he faces, both on and off the board. In the interview, Ding was open about the shortfalls in his recent performance: “I know my performances haven’t been up to my usual high standards,” Ding admitted, citing his underwhelming result at the recent Olympiad in Budapest, where he scored just 3.5 points from eight games, including one loss and no victories. Photo: Michal Walusza “But at the end of the day, a match is a match. It’s between two players. When one player starts to hit his stride, how the opponent reacts depends on their experience and how they handle the situation at the moment,” Ding said, emphasizing that match play and tournament play “are two different things.” When asked about his preparation for Singapore, Ding said his focus is more on the middlegame, an area where his challenger excels. “I’m more cautious towards the middle stage of the game because Gukesh is strong in strategy, the middle game, and positional understanding,” Ding explained. While noting that he and Gukesh are not close and, therefore, he doesn’t know much about him, Ding said he expects to “get to know him better as the match goes on.” Still, he gave credit to the maturity the 18-year-old Indian is showing on the board. “He’s good at strategic understanding… he plays like a seasoned player despite his young age.” Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club | Lennart Ootes Ding was also asked to share thoughts on the rise of the younger generation in chess. “They play without any restriction or dogma that the previous generation had,” he said, noting they constantly play for initiative and are more creative in opening preparation. On a personal level, Ding said his life has remained largely unchanged since becoming World Champion in 2023, though he admitted to a dip in his professional form. “My career might have taken a downward turn, but I believe there will be a turning point soon,” he added. In the second part of 2023, Ding took a break from chess, in part to address mental health challenges. Despite the poor showing in Budapest, he said he believes participation in the Olympiad helped him to regain focus ahead of the championship. Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club | Lennart Ootes “My current state is neither exceptionally good nor bad, but I’ve definitely moved past the worst moments of the last one and a half years. I know I’ve been playing great chess—I just couldn’t convert some positions. I still believe I can turn that around, maybe during the match.” As for the venue, Ding seemed comfortable. Although he has never been to Singapore, Ding said he is “not worried” about the facilities and has already sampled some of the local cuisine, which he enjoyed. About the FIDE World Championship Match The FIDE World Championship Match is one of the most important and widely watched chess events globally. Held every two years, it features the defending World Champion and the Challenger, chosen through a qualification process culminating in the Candidates Tournament, which includes eight of the world’s top players. The defending Champion is Ding Liren, who won the title after defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in Astana, Kazakhstan, in April 2023 on tiebreaks. The Challenger is the 18-year-old Gukesh D from India, who won the Candidates Tournament in April 2024 in Toronto. The World Championship Match will consist of 14 games. The player who scores 7.5 points or more wins the Match, and no further games are played. If the score is equal after 14 games, the winner is decided by a tiebreak.