Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, the 7-times world chess champion, has announced his intention to participate in the Katara International Chess Tournament organized by the Qatar Chess Association in cooperation with the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara.
The tournament, which begins on August 24, is scheduled to be played in two phases in three different time zones so that the players can opt for any time zone they prefer. The event will carry $10,000 in prizemoney.
Qatar Chess Association president Mohamed al-Mudahka expressed his delight at Carlsen’s participation, saying he expects around 5,000 players to take part in the event.
He said more than 1,000 participants confirmed their participation on the first day of registration.
Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, the general manager of the Cultural Village Foundation — Katara, said that Katara as a cultural institution is keen to support sports activities and spread the culture of sports by organizing and hosting a number of important sporting events, whether local or international, including the Katara International Chess Tournament.
This year’s event is a special one as it will be organized remotely in line with the precautionary measures taken by the country to combat Coronavirus Covid-19.
He added that the tournament has succeeded in gaining a high level of international attention, which enables it to attract a larger audience.
He praised the fruitful relationship between the Cultural Village Foundation — Katara and the Qatar Chess Association.
..
