Showing posts with label UAE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UAE. Show all posts

Monday, 2 December 2024

There is still time to register for an echess tourney with a total prize pool of $60,000 USD



Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence: Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club Presents The Echess Championship - The Road to Al Ain, Powered by Checkmate Live

Al Ain, UAE, [Date] – Marking its 25th anniversary, the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club proudly announces The Echess Championship: The Road to Al Ain, powered by Checkmate Live. This landmark tournament invites online chess enthusiasts and competitors worldwide to participate. Open to players of all levels, both rated and unrated, the championship includes regional qualifiers across multiple skill levels. The competition will reach its pinnacle in the prestigious Grand Final held in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, on December 22, 2024.

About the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club

Founded in 1999 and led by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Sultan bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan—President of the Asian Chess Federation and the Emirati Esports Federation—the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club has become a cornerstone of international chess, renowned for its achievements and contributions to the global chess community. Recognized for its commitment to excellence and competitive integrity, the club has fostered a vibrant chess culture in the UAE and beyond, culminating in notable victories, including winning the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Team Championship. This legacy underscores the club's standing as a leading institution in international chess and highlights its dedication to advancing the game on a global scale.

As the club marks its 25th anniversary, it invites partners and players from around the world to join in an epic celebration alongside the Asian Amateur Chess Championship 2024. This celebration will be highlighted by an epic echess knockout tournament on Checkmate Live’s platform, styled after the high-energy, immersive format of esports competitions. The live final in Al Ain, UAE, on December 22, 2024, will showcase top talent in a dramatic showdown. The Grand Final will be held at the official venue, Danat Al Ain Resort. The club’s strategic partnership with Checkmate Live, a next-gen online broadcast and tournament platform, reinforces its vision for the future and underscores its dedication to advancing competitive chess and mind sports on a global scale.

The Road to Al Ain: A Global Chess Journey

The Road to Al Ain invites players from across the globe to participate in a series of online qualifiers beginning on November 23, 2024, with skill-level divisions for Under 2000, Under 2300, and Open categories. Open to both rated and unrated players, these qualifiers will lead to the four Regional Finals, scheduled for December 7-8, 2024. Top contenders will advance to the Grand Final on December 22, 2024, in Al Ain.

Key tournament highlights include:

Global Inclusion: Open to both rated and unrated players, with divisions for Under 2000, Under 2300, and Open categories.

Redemption Games: Players who do not qualify in their designated Elo division will have multiple opportunities to participate. If a player doesn’t qualify in their first attempt, they can enter additional qualifiers within their division or compete in higher Elo categories, creating thrilling opportunities for unexpected victories and upsets as competitors from all levels strive to advance.

Bonus Rewards: Special prizes and rewards for female players, newcomers, and sportsmanship honorees.

Continental Representation: Regional qualifiers hosted across four major time zones, each with four qualifiers per Elo division:

AO: Asia and Oceania

EAS: Europe and Southern Africa

MENTA: Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey

AM: Americas

Generous Prizes: A total prize pool of $60,000 USD, including $35,000 in distributed prizes (USDC and in-game currency) throughout the tournament stages from Checkmate Live, with an additional $25,000 USD for the four-player Double Elimination Grand Final in Al Ain.

Travel costs covered: Al Ain CMG  is providing flights, five-star accommodation, and meals in Al Ain for all Grand Final participants.

Flexible Timing: Qualifiers are scheduled based on each player’s registered country to accommodate various time zones, ensuring global participation at convenient times.

Travel and Accommodation: Finalists advancing to Al Ain will receive complimentary flights and accommodations, with the tournament's Grand Final hosted at the luxurious Danat Al Ain Resort.

Tournament Schedule and Structure

Key Dates

Weekend Qualifiers: November 23-24 and November 30 - December 1, 2024

Regional Finals: December 7-8, 2024 (four regional finals across major time zones)

The Road to Al Ain Grand Final: December 22, 2024, Danat Al Ain Resort, Al Ain

Stage 1 - Online Qualifiers

The Online Qualifiers will consist of a 3+2 Blitz Swiss-format tournament (9 rounds) designed to advance top players from each division to the Regional Finals. The structure is as follows:

Under 2000 Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top four players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals.

Under 2300 Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top four players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals.

Open Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top eight players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals.

Stage 2 - Four Regional Finals

Each zone—AO (Asia and Oceania), EAS (Europe and Southern Africa), MENTA (Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey), and AM (Americas)—will host a 3+2 Blitz single-elimination head-to-head KO tournament. In each zone, a total of 64 players (16 from the Under 2000, 16 from the Under 2300, and 32 from the Open division) will compete, with the top player from each region ultimately advancing to the Grand Final.

Each matchup will consist of two games. In the event of a tie, an Armageddon game will determine the winner, ensuring a decisive outcome for each head-to-head encounter.

Stage 3 - Grand Final

The four regional champions will compete in a Double Elimination Knockout format to crown the tournament champion in Al Ain. These finalists will battle head-to-head for the title and a share of the additional $25,000 USD prize pool.

Grand Final Details

The Grand Final on December 22 will showcase a fast-paced double-elimination showdown among the four regional champions at the Danat Al Ain Resort. Participants will contend for significant cash prizes while experiencing the cultural richness of Al Ain, one of the UAE’s oldest and most cherished cities.

Registration Details

Registration opens on November 15, 2024. Players interested in competing can register at Checkmate.live. Don’t miss the chance to join this landmark event and experience the thrill of high-stakes competitive chess.

An Invitation to Chess Enthusiasts Everywhere

"The Road to Al Ain" is a celebration of unity, excellence, and global camaraderie. Whether you’re a seasoned grandmaster or a passionate amateur, this tournament offers a unique opportunity to be part of a legacy event. Registration is now open, and we invite all chess enthusiasts to embark on this journey to the Super Grand Final in Al Ain.

The Road to Al Ain: Your Destination for Competitive Chess Awaits!

Website: https://www.checkmate.live

Tournament information: https://www.checkmate.live/insights-and-updates

Ruleset: https://playbook.checkmate.live/echess-rulesets/the-road-to-al-ain

Contact:

Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club

Hesham Ali Al Taher

CEO, Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club

Secretary General of the Asian Chess Federation

asianchessfederation@yahoo.com


David Jenns MA LLM FRGS

Director International Relations

+971506180752

david@whitewolfconsultancy.com

Additional reading:

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Saturday, 23 November 2019

IESF SIGNS MOU WITH MOTIVATE MEDIA GROUP

(from left to right) His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed al Maktoun, President of UAE Olympic Committee, and Colin Webster, President of International Esports Federation (IESF).
The world’s fastest-growing sports sector, Esports, has expanded its global footprint with the announcement of a strategic partnership that will see its operations make significant headway in the Middle East.
The new agreement – a joint venture between the International Esports Federation (IESF) and one of the region’s most established media companies, Motivate Media Group - comes ahead of the launch of a world-class annual Esports industry summit and consumer exhibition event in Dubai in 2020.
Endorsed by the IESF, Dubai Sports Council, and Emirates Esports Association, the event will be a celebration of Dubai’s journey as a global destination hub for Esports organizations and industry leaders, thinkers, influencers and gaming enthusiasts.
Esports is the fastest-growing sports category globally with more than 300 million gamers in the Middle East alone. 
Colin Webster, President of the IESF and Ian Fairservice, Founder and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, signed an MoU establishing a joint venture that introduces the most significant initiative of its kind for Esports in the region.
‘IESF is really excited to be collaborating with Motivate to establish a number of world-class Esports products that represents an important step in supporting Esports growth in the UAE, the Middle East and globally,’ says Mr Webster.
‘The potential for Esports in the Middle East is now being realised. ‘A national strategy is required to establish and house this remarkable ecosystem, Dubai is an amazing city and Motivate Media Group, celebrating its 40th year, is a perfect partner that can help support this vision.’ 
Mr Fairservice concurred: ‘With the evolution of technology and the ongoing emergence of all forms of sport as a cultural and entertainment touchstone in society, there is no better time to launch an initiative that embraces this convergence.’
‘We see the future in Esports as being one of the most dynamic and rapidly expanding platforms in new media and are thrilled to be partnering with a leading institution such as the IESF to develop this in the Middle East.’ 
Colin Webster added that the IESF is absolutely delighted to be attending another world first by Dubai Sports Council.
‘Artificial Intelligence will have a considerable impact in all aspects of life, and sport is no exception. By providing thought leadership to AI in Sport, this will clearly help shape future policy and its applications for a better world. The UAE was one of the first countries, if not the first, to appoint an AI minister as part of its portfolio. HE Omar Al Olama is a remarkable person with such insight.’
‘The IESF looks forward to our continued collaboration with Dubai Sports Council for the betterment of sports and humankind.’ 

About IESF
The International Esports Federation (IESF), based in Busan, Korea, is a not-for-profit organization that works consistently to promote Esports as a true sport which transcends language, gender, race and cultural barriers. Established in 2008, with nine founding nations, its membership has now expanded to over 56 countries. 
The IESF has established robust policies that ensure the welfare of its participants, whilst protecting the integrity of Esports.
Structurally, it comprises a board, members of whom usually serve a four-year term and are duly elected by member federations.
Other initiatives that IESF has developed for the betterment of Esports include an annual Esports World Championship, which is in its 11th edition, and a Global Esports Executive Summit (GEES) which was launched four years ago. 
The 11th World Esports Championship (2019) will be held from 11-15 December 2019 in Seoul where more than 45 nations are expected to compete.
As an international federation for Esports, the IESF’s obligations include hosting international Esports tournaments, expanding the range of member nations, and establishing standards for referees, players, certifications, titles and competitions.
About Motivate Media Group
Motivate Publishing was founded in 1979 by Ian Fairservice and, together with his partner HE Obaid bin Humaid Al Tayer, the United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Financial Affairs, has developed the company to become one of the most successful media groups in the region. Motivate Media Group has more than 25 editorial titles across print and digital, and a diverse range of contract publishing, as well as a celebrated books division, content provision services, events management, diverse international joint ventures and leading cinema advertising business, Motivate Val Morgan. www.motivate.ae
Contact 
White Wolf Strategies 

+971 50 6180 752 (WhatsApp)

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