Tolerance Games & Asian Chess Women’s Contest concluded in Abu-Dhabi

UAE Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, the International Chess Federation, and the Asian Chess Federation jointly held the Tolerance Games – Asian Chess Women’s Contest that took place from February 06-07, 2023, in Abu-Dhabi, UAE. The event was a part of the Global Tolerance and Human Fraternity Summit in Etihad Towers. 

Girls and ladies from Asia and all around the world participated in various activities, from playing chess to learning about the empowerment chess gives to women and society.

The event started with the “Little Chess Star” Chess Tournament. Eight invited girls played in two qualification tournaments, followed by the final match for the title.

Eisa Bashkardi Ahoud from the UAE and Zakiyabonu Muminova from Tajikistan qualified for the final from their groups. Eisa Bashkardi Ahoud bested her opponent in both games and won the tournament. 

A “Learn to play in one hour” session with a coach started right after the event. WGM and five-time Armenian Champion Mariya Gevorgyan showed many interesting problems and studies and taught girls how to play some basic and more complex rook endings. 

Leadership workshop “Women and Chess – Promoting Tolerance & Women Empowerment” featured Anastasia Sorokina, Chair of FIDE Commission for Women in Chess; Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Women chess grandmaster, politician, FIDE Deputy Chair of Management Board; Anastasia Karlovich, WIM, Ukrainian chess journalist and photographer; Irene Kharisma Sukandar, WGM and two-time Asian Women’s Champion; David Smerdon, GM, PhD in Economics, member of FIDE WOM Commission and Tshepiso Lopang, IA and the President of African Chess Confederation.

“Chess can be used as an excellent tool for promoting tolerance and coexistence, connecting us in common humanity,” said Dana Reizniece-Ozola.

“Considering chess sport as a powerful means to consolidate society, establish an atmosphere of love and tolerance and create friendships between youth without social discrimination, leading numerous social projects for many years already, as a woman, as a person with a vast experience, I want more and more girls to play chess,” stressed Anastasia Sorokina.

A simul by Dana Reizniece-Ozola followed the workshop. Dana won all the games, although some players had good chances of reaching a draw. 

As many as 89 players participated in the Open Asian Women Blitz Chess Tournament, the 7-round Swiss event with the time control of 3min +2 sec. WGM Geldiyeva from Mahri (Turkmenistan) finished with a perfect score and emerged as the winner. Shakhnoza Sabirova, from Uzbekistan and Ahlam Rashed, from the UAE, tied for second place, netting 6 out of 7 points.  

Final standings can be found below

The closing ceremony of the “Little Chess Stars Tournament” and Open Asian Women Blitz Chess Tournament took place on the 7th of February and was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nabyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan, who welcomed participants and awarded the winners. 

Dana Reizniece-Ozola took part in the Global Tolerance and Human Fraternity Summit and was a speaker in panel number three, Peace: Promoting Principals of Nonviolence.

Photo: Stev Bonhage and Anastasia Karlovich
Text: Anastasia Karlovich

Final standings – Open Asian Women Blitz Chess Tournament:

Rk.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.
1	WGM	Geldiyeva, Mahri	TKM	2132	7
2		Sabirova, Shakhnoza	UZB	1962	6
3		Rashed, Ahlam	UAE	1468	6
4	WNM	Acedo, Rowelyn-Joy	PHI	1778	5.5
5	AFM	Kaushal, Khushi	IND	1350	5.5
6	WCM	Alserkal, Rouda	UAE	1661	5.5
7		Amer, Shamsa	UAE	1128	5.5
8		Eisa Bashkardi, Ahoud	UAE	1246	5
9		Bhattacharya, Andria	IND	1313	5
10		Almaamari, Mouza	UAE	1381	5
11	ACM	Kindipan, Zyralle	PHI	1348	5
12	WCM	Ali, Abeer	UAE	1423	5
13		San Andres, Emerlinda	PHI	1399	5
14		Bommi, Yasaswi Krishna	IND	1340	5
15		Darmaki, Latifah	UAE	1241	5
16		Al Hamadi, Al Reem	UAE	1234	5
17		Alsaqqaf, Reem	UAE	0	4.5
18		Eisa Bashkardi, Anoud	UAE	1447	4.5
19		Almaini, Aishah	UAE	1509	4.5
20		Amin, Haneen	UAE	0	4.5
21		Gowrisankar, Divya	IND	1086	4.5
22		Biñan, Angelyn	PHI	0	4
23		Alshamsi, Ousha	UAE	1455	4
24		Mohammad Ali Hassan, Rayan	UAE	1351	4
25		Almeraikhi, Shaikha Abdulla	UAE	1187	4
26		Alhosani, Aysha	UAE	0	4
27		Amin, Hala	UAE	0	4
28	WCM	Almaamari, Zainab Darwish	UAE	1550	4
29		Alshamsi, Mouza Nasser	UAE	1186	4
30		Shah, Tvisha	IND	1038	4
31		Sadhana, Prakash	SGP	0	4
32		Alkhoori, Noora	UAE	1148	4
33		Abdulkarim, Ahlam	UAE	0	4
		Ramanathan, Umayal	IND	0	4
35	WFM	Al Dhaffari, Salma	UAE	1449	4
		Olandag, Meghan Gabrielle	PHI	0	4
37		Renganathan Palanikumar, Tarunikaa	IND	0	4
38		Akhmejanova, Gaziza	KAZ	0	4
39		Olandag, Sherel	PHI	1028	3.5
40		Rowdah, Ghalib Alafeefi	UAE	0	3.5
41		Marakkar, Reeha	IND	0	3.5
42		Prabhu Sivaprakash, Sanchitha	FID	0	3
43		Olandag, Marthina Danielle	PHI	0	3
44		Anis, Laetitia	LBN	0	3
		Lee, Seia	KOR	0	3
46		Al Harazi, Aliya	UAE	0	3
		Bin Drai, Asya	UAE	0	3
48		Rafeh, Masa	SYR	0	3
		Siddiqui, Shiza Fatima	UAE	0	3
50		Abdulkarim, Shahd Qasem Bani	UAE	0	3
51		Abdulaziz, Mera	UAE	0	3
52		Almeraikhi, Aysha Abdulla	UAE	1004	3
53		Maheshkumar Surya, Sejal	IND	0	3
		Makhmalji, Sama	SYR	0	3
55		Abdulkarim, Taif Qasem Bani	UAE	1026	3
56		Prabhu Sivaprakash, Nikitha	IND	0	3
57		Rathinam, Latha	IND	0	3
58		Thangaraju, Mythili	IND	0	3
59		Tena, Francesca Eoni	PHI	0	3
60		Umrao, Gauri	IND	0	3
61		Alhamadi, Meera	UAE	0	2
62		Arisoy, Lina	INA	0	2
63	WCM	Al Neyadi, Mahra Khalifa	UAE	1091	2
		Qasim, Dana	JOR	0	2
65		Ramkumar, Divyasree	FID	0	2
66		Raveender, Sashneetha	IND	0	2
67		Redwan, Alya	UAE	0	2
68		Ramkumar, Kapilashri	FID	0	2
69		Owaimer, Hanaa	JOR	0	2
70		Alhamadi, Maryam	UAE	0	2
71		Gomop-As, Rosalita	PHI	0	1
72		Alhamadi, Hamda	UAE	0	1
73		Munder, Hala	SYR	0	1
74		Banabila, Salama Majed	UAE	0	1
75	WFM	Grishina, Alexandra	LBN	1954	0
	WCM	Sawan, Eman	PLE	1768	0
		Alnaimat, Raya	JOR	1674	0
	WCM	Vyas, Arya	IND	1201	0
		Nair, Dheepika	IND	1186	0
		Sridharan, Kaushika	IND	1175	0
		Al Muaini, Mouza	UAE	0	0
		Al Muaini, Noura	UAE	0	0
		Alhamadi, Lulwa	UAE	0	0
		Awad, Nada Alsayed	UAE	0	0
		Jain, Pratyusha	IND	0	0
		Kumanan, Saatvika	IND	0	0
		Sharma, Vedika	IND	0	0
		Ubaiese, Amina Sheza	IND	0	0
89		Aldhalei, Hajar	UAE	1187	0