Officials attend opening round

The opening ceremony and first round were attended by Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE); Major General Mokhtar Amara, President of the Egyptian Chess Federation; Mohammed Al-Mudhahka, Vice President of the Arab Chess Federation and President of the Qatar Chess Federation; Ibrahim Ezzeddine Jalloul, Vice President of the Arab Chess Federation and President of the Algerian Chess Federation; and Bushra Al Qadiri, President of the Royal Moroccan Chess Federation, alongside board members of the Arab Chess Federation, heads of participating delegations and other sporting figures.

President highlights investment in youth

Sheikh Khalid bin Humaid Al Qasimi, President of the Arab Chess Federation, said the championship represents one of the most important fixtures on the federation's calendar given the technical and developmental gains it delivers at the youth level, adding that focusing on young players is a core pillar of the federation's strategy for building the future of Arab chess.

"We are delighted to see the championship launch with this strong Arab turnout, which confirms the standing the tournament has built year after year, and reflects how keen Arab federations are to give their players the chance to compete and gain experience in one of the most important age-category tournaments," he said.

He thanked Gohar Nabil, Egypt's Minister of Youth and Sports, for his support in hosting the championship, and the Egyptian Chess Federation under Major General Amara for the organisation and hospitality. He also thanked the participating Arab federations, saying the turnout of 18 countries and more than 400 players reflects the success of joint Arab efforts and a shared belief that investing in young players is the best path to building generations capable of competing continentally and globally.

Championship Framed as Talent Pipeline

Sheikh Khalid said the tournament is not only about titles but also about longer-term technical and educational goals. "This championship is a genuine school for talent discovery. It gives players the chance to test themselves against a range of chess schools, while helping technical staff assess players' levels and prepare them for coming challenges, making it a key staging post in developing future champions," he said.

He added that the Arab Chess Federation places special emphasis on developing youth categories through tournaments, technical programmes and training courses run in cooperation with national federations, noting that the strong technical level on display reflects the progress many Arab countries have made in player development. He said he was confident the championship would produce promising Arab talents who become the nucleus of national teams in the years ahead, and that the federation would continue working with national federations to provide the best environment for developing players.

Tight first-round standings across categories

The first round produced closely matched results across the board, with many players raising the "strong start" banner in the race for the titles.

In the Open Under-20 category, 10 players shared the lead on one point, while four players topped the Girls' Under-20 standings after opening wins. In the Open Under-18, 14 players led on a perfect score, and nine players topped the Girls' section. The Open Under-16 saw 15 players share the lead, while seven players topped the Girls' Under-16 standings. In the Open Under-14, 11 players shared a perfect start, with seven players leading the Girls' section. The Open Under-12 produced 15 leaders on one point, against seven in the Girls' category. In the Open Under-10, 14 players opened with wins, compared with six in the Girls' section. The Under-8 category saw 11 players lead the Open standings against six in the Girls' section — an opening day that underlined how closely matched the field is, with more drama expected as the rounds continue.