School's Digital Chess champion to meet global champion

April 14, 2026 / 11:40 PM

Sharjah 24: His Excellency Sheikh Suhail bin Buti Al Maktoum, Assistant Undersecretary for Sports Development and Competitiveness at the Ministry of Sports and President of the UAE Sports Federation for School and University Institutions, has confirmed that the UAE Ministry of Sports intends to award the winner of the Schools Digital Chess League the opportunity to compete against a world chess champion.

Sheikh Suhail praised the league's remarkable response among students since its inception, noting that the event was completed in its entirety and to the finest detail in record time thanks to close collaboration between the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Education, the UAE Sports Federation for School and University Institutions, and the UAE Chess Federation.

Registration is twice the initial target

The ministry had hoped to attract 3,000 male and female students under the advertising slogan "Play It Right", but demand greatly exceeded expectations, with more than 6,000 students signing up to participate — more than double the initial target.

His Excellency praised the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Education, the UAE Sports Federation for School and University Institutions, and the UAE Chess Federation for delivering the tournament in record time and with careful attention to detail.

Road to the Masters final

The qualifying stage began, on Tuesday, and will continue until Thursday, spanning three age groups — Cycle One, Cycle Two, and Cycle Three — with children participating individually within each category. Six winners will advance from each category over two days, bringing the total number of finalists to 18, who will then compete in the Masters round to determine the overall champion.