Dubai: Woman International Master Amna Nouman ruled the UAE President’s Cup women’s chess championship, which was recently held in Al Ain from August 11 to 18, to reaffirm her status as one of the country’s elite chess players.
Nouman completed a masterful performance by finishing with eight points and a 1.5-point winning margin over a field that featured the UAE’s cream of the crop, including her teammates in the UAE national team.
Nouman’s championship finish is also the first by a player from Dubai Chess and Culture Club since the women’s division was introduced in the President’s Cup in 2013.
The win also cemented her reign at the top of the UAE women’s ranking and gave Nouman a rare sweep of all major titles in the UAE, including championships in all age categories as well as the UAE Under-20 title, which she won a few days earlier. Nouman has also consistently won various Arab age-group championships.
Dubai secured two more medals in the women’s competition courtesy of Nouman's sister, Shaima, who finished with six points to claim the bronze in the main event and take home the gold in the 16-Under age category. Woman Candidate Master Ali Abeer took the silver medal in the main event.
Fide Master Saeed Ishaq, who represented Dubai in the men’s division, secured the silver medal behind Grandmaster Salem A.R. Saleh of Sharjah. Mohammad Ebrahim Khouri of Abu Dhabi was third. Youthful International Master Ebrahim Sultan also of Dubai finished fourth in the event that featured 19 of the UAE’s best chess players.
