Etisalat sponsors 9th Open Chess Championship for Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup

The Championship will see 167 players, 101 of which include master level players from 40 countries compete in the tournament starting on 21 April ending 1 May 2007 at the Dubai Chess Club.

Since its inception in 1999 it has been considered as one of the most important open chess tournament held in the world. The tournament attracts many of talented chess players from Asia, Africa and are expected to take part in this prestigious event which will be played by the Swiss System of ( 9 rounds ) to win Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum's Cup .

Ghanåm Ali Al Marri, Deputy General Manager Dubai Region, Etisalat, said: "Etisalat's continuous sponsorship for the youth and sports community reflects the corporation's vision to support this important sector. Supporting and encouraging various activities in the country, especially those relating to sports where our young nationals achieved great success at a regional level."

"We as a national institution, seek to promote and develop talent wherever they are around the country. It gives us great pride for our achievements and support for various domains relating to youth and sports," he added.