The World Amateur Chess Championship 2023 officially commenced on Thursday evening in Muscat, marking the beginning of an exciting competition that brought together amateur chess players from around the globe. Organized by the Omani Chess Committee, in partnership with the International Chess Federation, the championship runs from November 2 to November 11 in the main sports hall at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bawshar.
During a technical meeting on Thursday morning, the essential modifications to the rules and the playing system were discussed and clarified. These changes aim to enhance the competitiveness and fairness of the championship. Mahdi Abdulrahim, a distinguished member of the International Chess Federation, offered valuable insights into the rules and regulations that players must adhere to while inside the playing hall. The championship will also rigorously enforce fair play and time control measures in accordance with the FIDE rules and regulations.
The championship is held in three five categories: U2300 Open, U2000 Open and U1700 Open, U2000 Women and U1700 Women. All five competitions are 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control. Each championship day starts opening move at 4 PM.
Ozgur Solakoglu, FIDE Technical Delegate and Honorary Chair of the FIDE Events Commission expressed his pleasure of being a part of the World Amateur Chess Championship, with over 400 players hailing from as many as 64 different countries. He emphasized that this remarkable turnout might be a historic record for the World Championship, giving the event status of a truly global competition. Mr Solakoglu also praised the favourable conditions and the absence of any complaints from the players.
He expressed hope for a successful and competitive tournament and commended special trips for the players to explore the unique attractions of Muscat, enhancing their tournament experience.
He concluded by stressing the vital role of amateur tournaments in the world of chess, as they form the foundation of the sport and provide a platform for the countless amateur players worldwide to engage with chess and foster the game’s growth and visibility.
The first round of the championship was honoured by the presence of His Excellency Mr Said bin Sultan al Busaidi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth for Culture, who made the first ceremonial move together with the President of the Oman Chess Committee Mr Ahmed Al Bulushi.
Official website: worldamateur2023.fide.com/
Pairing and results: worldamateur2023.fide.com/result/
Live games:
Open U 2300: view.livechesscloud.com/#dccc87a9-9915-46a2-9004-d3835316e8d7
Open U 2000: view.livechesscloud.com/#066e6d39-805a-453e-8a70-96513a9cb82f
Open U 1700: view.livechesscloud.com/#dce1d4a3-3875-4214-92ec-0278888643ee
Women U 1700: view.livechesscloud.com/#9913758f-ab38-4647-865e-12f139586bd3
Women U 2000: view.livechesscloud.com/#4bc5165d-dda7-4dce-a74d-2e10bec1a3e8
1 round photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1q-0wpkHO9xnTVvkBCzAqRR31lNoUyCyl
Text and photo: WACC 2023 media team
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