JEDDAH: The first kids’ chess tournament in Makkah, organized by the Saudi Chess Club, kicks off today at the King Abdulaziz Sports City.
Around 60 kids, aged between 5 and 12, from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, India, and other countries are participating in the tournament.
Kids will compete using watches that follow the Fischer system, which provides a 10-minute time limit.
The Fischer system refers to an old style of chess in which the pieces are set up in the fixed position of rook, knight, bishop, queen and king.
The Saudi Chess Federation retweeted the schedule of the tournament initially posted by Saudi Chess Club.
The one-day chess tournament will consist of four rounds starting at 7:00 p.m. till 8:30 p.m. Winners will be announced at 9:00 p.m.
Yasser Al-Otaibi, the tournament’s director and chairman of the club, said that each participating kid will be receiving a voucher worth SR 100 ($26) to support their love for the game.
Learning chess, one of the oldest and most popular board games, improves children’s academic skills, memory and patience. It also develops their ability to focus, plan ahead and solve problems.
The first Saudi Chess tournament for kids, organized by Saudi Mind Sport Committee, was held in 2017.
The first Saudi adult chess tournament was held in 2018, with the participation of 250 male players and 50 female players. The Saudi Chess Federation had set up a prize of SR 125,000 for the winners.
