Jumeirah College has won first place in a Dubai chess competition.
Sunmarke School came in second place, while Hartland School took home the third place gong.
The Chess Knowledge tournament, which takes place five times a year, was held at the International Academy in Emirates Hills on Thursday.
The event attracted a total of 60 students from 14 different schools in the emirate battling it out for the top spot.
Students Talal Arip, Shaurya Garg, Vivan Rana, Nikunj Goenka and Daniel Merchant secured the first place prize for Jumeirah College with scores of 19.5, 75.5, 56.25 and 62.5.
For aspiring participants in future tournaments, I highly recommend committing to a daily practice routine of three to four hours.
Vivan Rana,
a member of the first-place ranked Jumeirah College team
"I am filled with joy and a strong sense of pride in my team's accomplishments," Vivan Rana, 13, told The National.
"The tournament required me to dedicate one to two weeks of preparation, building upon my one-year experience in playing chess.
"For aspiring participants in future tournaments, I highly recommend committing to a daily practice routine of three to four hours," he said.
Other schools that took part in the competition include Dubai International Academy (Emirates Hills), The Aquila School, International School of Creative Science, Al Salam Community School, Horizon International School, Gems International School, Greenfield International School, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Jebel Ali School, Raffles World Academy and The Sheffield Private School.
The chess tournament was streamed live on Facebook.
Jad Sobh, a 17-year-old pupil who competed for Sunmarke School, said winning second prize was incredible.
"I thought we ranked fourth in one of the rounds. However, we secured a well-deserved second place in the tournament," the Canadian told The National.
"The experience has left me filled with immense satisfaction and pride."
The second place winners who were on the team with Jad include Flavio Saffioti, Assylmurat Adil, Davron Yakubov and Tamerlan Seydaliyev.
Third place winners from Hartland School include Raymond Fayad, Shadi Bou Fakr, Alex George, Ziana Sing and Jiwon Im.
Chess Knowledge is an academy that has been running local and regional competitions since 2011.
It provides high-quality chess education to students across the UAE, and has introduced the game as part of the curriculum at ICE School, to enhance students' academic performance, critical thinking abilities and overall cognitive development.
"The academy provides chess as an extracurricular activity in over 30 schools across the UAE, and 400 students have enrolled so far," Alexandra Grishina, the founder of Chess Knowledge, told The National.
She added that the academy's main purpose is to promote the chess world through the organisation of chess tournaments, classes and events.
"In August, get ready for the exhilarating International Chess Knowledge Blitz in the vibrant city of Dubai," she said.
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
