Magnus Carlsen Leads In The Qatar Masters Championship After The Initial Round

Magnus Carlsen Leads In The Qatar Masters Championship

Doha, Qatar - The third edition of the Qatar Masters Championship opened today at the Lusail Sports Arena, featuring a lineup of some of the world's top chess champions. The competition will run until Oct. 20. 

The opening ceremony was attended by HE Minister of Sports and Youth Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, President of Qatar Chess Federation and the organizing committee Mohammed Al Mudahka, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the UAE Chess Federation Tarim Matar Tarim, and the chief arbiter of the tournament Freyd Laurent, as well as several officials from participating federations. 

The ceremony included a musical performance, accompanied by enthusiastic applause from the audience in the stands. Afterward, HE Minister of Sports and Youth and the President of the Qatar Chess Federation, made the first move in the match between the World Champion, Magnus Carlsen from Norway, and his Indian opponent Srihari, marking the start of the first round. 
This tournament, held under the Swiss system format with 9 rounds, where each player has 90 minutes for the game and an additional 30 seconds for each move, has attracted 250 players representing 45 countries, including 62 Grandmasters from 16 Arab countries. India has the largest number of participants, with 76 players. 

The total prize money for the competition is $120,000. 

In his opening match, Qatar's International Master Husain Aziz, ranked 141st in the tournament, lost to his Uzbek opponent Mukhiddin Madaminov, who is ranked 61st in the tournament. 
Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, the current world number one, started his campaign to defend his title by defeating the Indian Srihari, who is ranked 80th in the tournament, securing the top position in the overall standings after the first round. 

American Hikaru Nakamura, ranked third in the world and second in the tournament, followed in Carlsen's footsteps and overcame the Indian Vantika Agrawal, securing second place. Dutch player 

Anish Giri, ranked seventh in the world and third in the tournament, surpassed his Indian opponent Rohith Krishna, finishing in third place. 

For his part, FIDE President Dvorkovich expressed his delight at the return of the Qatar Masters International Chess Championship after an absence of nearly 8 years since its second edition was held in 2015. He confirmed that the current edition is witnessing a significant presence with 250 players representing 45 countries. 

He said that he was delighted with the start of the current Championship in Qatar. They have full confidence in the Qatari Chess Federation's ability to organize an outstanding tournament, much like the successful previous editions. 

Dvorkovich stated that strong competition is expected among the participating players, as many of them are eager to compete against the elite players of the game and the top-ranked players. 

In conclusion, the President of the International Chess Federation expressed his gratitude to the State of Qatar for this organization, emphasizing the importance of this tournament in promoting the culture of chess in the region. 

Source : QNA