The Founding Story of Abu Dhabi Chess & Mind Games Club
How a small clubroom programme in Abu Dhabi grew into the organising body behind one of the Gulf's largest open chess festivals.
Guides, club history and practical advice for players and parents, written by the Abu Dhabi Chess & Mind Games Club team.
How a small clubroom programme in Abu Dhabi grew into the organising body behind one of the Gulf's largest open chess festivals.
What to expect at your first Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival, from choosing a section to what happens on arrival day.
Why the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival has become a regular stop for titled players from across the world, and what draws them back.
A practical checklist for players entering their first FIDE-rated event, from paperwork to the week before the first round.
How the Elo rating system used by FIDE actually works, what determines how many points you gain or lose, and what the numbers mean.
Why you play different opponents each round, how colours are balanced, and what tie-break systems decide when scores are level.
You don't need to memorise theory to open well. Five durable principles that hold up across almost any opening.
A framework for finding a plan once the opening ends and the position stops giving you obvious moves.
The handful of king and pawn endgame ideas that decide the majority of amateur games once the pieces come off.
What chess actually teaches children beyond the game itself, and why schools and parents keep returning to it as an activity.
How our First Moves, Junior Development and school partnership programmes are structured, and how to choose the right one.
Practical advice for parents on what to expect and how to prepare a child for their first rated chess tournament.
How the club and Festival are building dedicated pathways and events for women and girls in competitive chess.
The conduct expectations that aren't always written in the rulebook but matter at every level of tournament play.
How engines, game databases and live broadcasting have changed both tournament preparation and how events like the Festival are run.
Practical travel notes for players and families coming to Abu Dhabi for Festival week, from visas to what to do between rounds.