The UAE Individual Rapid Chess Championship for boys and girls under 16 concluded in Abu Dhabi. Organized by the Chess Federation in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Sports Club, the tournament featured 144 players. In the boys' category, Saffin Safullah Khan from Sharjah Chess Club claimed first place and the gold medal with a score of 6.5 out of 7 points. He was followed by his clubmates, Rashid Hassan Al Hamadi in second place with the silver medal (6 points) and Sultan Al Mehairi in third with the bronze (also 6 points). In the girls' under-16 category, Asina Gulizade from Kalba Chess Club won the gold medal with 6 points, narrowly beating Shama Khalfan from Dubai Chess Club, who took silver. The bronze medal was shared by Ehood Issa from Sharjah and Mera Sakr Al Marai from Dubai, who both scored 5.5 points. The championship and award ceremony were attended by Dr. Sultan Ali Al Taher, Head of the Federation's Technical Committee, and Ibrahim Mohammed Al Marzouqi, a board member of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Sports Club. The Chess Federation also awarded incentive prizes to the best players across various age categories to support and motivate emerging talents. Dr. Sultan Ali Al Taher praised the high technical level of the tournament, reflecting the significant growth of the player base in the country, and emphasized that these competitions are crucial for preparing a new generation capable of representing the UAE in continental and international forums.
