Prizes:

All, Women, Arabs, Locals

Results of  Round:

 1 , 2,  3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 , 9

Online Games Round :

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

PGN Files: All ( Zip)

Round: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

GM Levan Pantsulaia of Georgia won the Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup finishing with 7 points in the 9th Dubai Open held 22 to 30 April 2007 at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Pantsulaia won by tie break over GMs Amir Bagheri of Iran, and Gadir Guesinov and Sarhan Guliev of Azerbaijan. In photo, Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum awards the champion`s cup to GM Pantsulaia as Dubai Chess Club President Ibrahim Al Bannai looks on. See results and final standing.

Winners of tournament with Sheikh Rashed

Report of the Chief Arbiter
The 9th Dubai Open saw the participation of 126 players from 24 countries including:

 25 Grandmasters
4 Woman Grandmasters
15 International Masters
3 Woman International Masters
18 FIDE Masters and
7 Woman FIDE Masters
Prize fund for the 9th edition was increased by $5,000 to a total of $45,000 enhancing its stature as the biggest annual Open tournament in Asia. Fifty players won prizes in the Open event and various categories.
An Appeals Committee was headed by Mr. Najeeb Saleh (UAE). Attributing to the good organization, there were no protests. Deputy Chief Arbiter Mahdi Abdulrahim helped manage the team of Arbiters in the usual high international standard, namely IA Naji Mohammed, IA Mohammed Abdullah, IA Jamal Kasem and two NAs Saeed Yousof and Mohammed Raies.
The top boards were broadcast live over the internet through the expertise of Mr. Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh. IM Ravikumar published daily bulletins of the games.
The Dubai Chess Club provided excellent facilities for the players. Under the supervision of Mr. Ahmed Toukhi of the Dubai Chess Club, the official hotel, the Vendome Plaza, gave good service to the players. Bus service between the hotel and the tournament venue was on time and coordinated well by Mr. Ahmed Barakat of the Dubai Chess Club.
Overall organization was efficiently managed by Mr. Mohammed Hosseiny as Tournament Director under the leadership of Dubai Chess Club President Ibrahim Al Bannai, UAE Chess Federation president.
Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, in whose name the Cup was awarded, honored both the opening and closing with his presence, symbolizing the support of the government of Dubai.
I thank the Dubai Chess Club for the opportunity to be part of the successful 9th Dubai Open.

Casto Abundo
Chief Arbiter

125 Players from 24 Countries !

 Twenty nine grandmasters and 18 International Masters head a strong field in the 9th Dubai Open going on from 22nd to 30th April 2007 at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At stake is the Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup and a total of $45,000 in cash prizes

Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum starts the clock on top board

from left, Arab Chess Federation Secretary Mahdi Abdulrahim, UAE Chess Federation and Dubai Chess Club president Ibrahim Al Bannai and Dr. Mohamed Salem Suhail, Assistant Secretary General of UAE Youth and Sports Welfare Authority.

9th Dubai Open Chess Championship started off with flying colors at Dubai Chess Club. A total of 126 players from 24 countries are participating in this prestigious championship. Grandmaster Ehlvest Jaan of USA is the top seed with rating 2643 while Grandmasters Sadvakasov Darmen of Kazakhstan 2618 and Pantsulaia Levan 2616, Mchedlishvili Mikheil 2609 and Gelashvili Tamaz of Georgia 2605 are expected to challenge the top seed.25 Grandmasters, 15 International masters, 18 Fide masters, 4 Women Grandmasters, 2 International Women masters and 4 Women Fide masters are playing in this championship.
The seeded players cruised through to the second round with ease after the first round. Top seed Jaan Ehlvest defeated World U12 Champion FM Srinath Narayanan of India in 23 moves . Ehlvest had a powerful advanced passed pawn on the queenside and active minor pieces gave him a decisive advantage.Sadvakasov Darmen won his game against IM Himdan Maher of Egypt in 30 moves
from a Sicilian Najdorf. In rook and minor piece endgame, Sadvakasov won two pawns and Himdan resigned unable to meet increasing threats.
There were couple of upset results with UAE lad saeed ishaq playing well to hold im kidambi of india. theshort game of event was 11 move win when on a unusual position a master blundered and lost.
the event has 9 rounds of swiss system and toti abundo is chief arbiter. players from asia and europe and even from sweden are participating for the honors.