Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence: Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club Presents The Echess Championship - The Road to Al Ain, Powered by Checkmate Live
SYDNEY, Australia – Marking its 25th anniversary, the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club proudly announces The Echess Championship: The Road to Al Ain, powered by Checkmate Live. This landmark tournament invites online chess enthusiasts and competitors worldwide to participate. Open to players of all levels, both rated and unrated, the championship includes regional qualifiers across multiple skill levels. The competition will reach its pinnacle in the prestigious Grand Final held in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, on January 28, 2025.
About the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club
Founded in 1999 and led by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Sultan bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan—President of the Asian Chess Federation and the Emirati Esports Federation—the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club has become a cornerstone of international chess, renowned for its achievements and contributions to the global chess community. Recognized for its commitment to excellence and competitive integrity, the club has fostered a vibrant chess culture in the UAE and beyond, culminating in notable victories, including winning the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Team Championship. This legacy underscores the club's standing as a leading institution in international chess and highlights its dedication to advancing the game on a global scale.
As the club marks its 25th anniversary, it invites partners and players from around the world to join in an epic celebration alongside the Asian Amateur Chess Championship 2024. This celebration will be highlighted by an epic echess knockout tournament on Checkmate Live’s platform, styled after the high-energy, immersive format of esports competitions. The live final in Al Ain, UAE, on January 28, 2025., will showcase top talent in a dramatic showdown. The Grand Final will be held at the official venue, Danat Al Ain Resort. The club’s strategic partnership with Checkmate Live, a next-gen online broadcast and tournament platform, reinforces its vision for the future and underscores its dedication to advancing competitive chess and mind sports on a global scale.
The Road to Al Ain: A Global Chess Journey
The Road to Al Ain invites players from across the globe to participate in a series of online qualifiers beginning on November 23, 2024, culminating in the WildCard and Youth Divisions. The journey will conclude with the Grand Final, held at the luxurious Danat Al Ain Resort in the UAE, on February 28, 2025. Open to all players at every skill level, this reimagined journey highlights inclusivity and competitive excellence.
Key tournament highlights include:
- Global Inclusion: Open to both rated and unrated players, with divisions for Under 2000, Under 2300, and Open categories.
- Redemption Games: Players who do not qualify in their designated Elo division will have multiple opportunities to participate. If a player doesn’t qualify in their first attempt, they can enter additional qualifiers within their division or compete in higher Elo categories, creating thrilling opportunities for unexpected victories and upsets as competitors from all levels strive to advance.
- Bonus Rewards: Special prizes and rewards for female players, newcomers, and sportsmanship honorees.
- Regional qualifiers hosted across four major time zones, each with four qualifiers per Elo division:
- AO: Asia and Oceania
- EAS: Europe and Southern Africa
- AM: Americas
- Open: Wildcard and Youth Qualifiers
- Generous Prizes: A total prize pool of $60,000 USD, including $35,000 in distributed prizes (USDC and in-game currency) throughout the tournament stages from Checkmate Live, with an additional $25,000 USD for the four-player Double Elimination Grand Final in Al Ain.
- Travel costs covered: Al Ain CMG is providing flights, five-star accommodation, and meals in Al Ain for all Grand Final participants.
- Flexible Timing: Qualifiers are scheduled based on each player’s registered country to accommodate various time zones, ensuring global participation at convenient times.
- Travel and Accommodation: Finalists advancing to Al Ain will receive complimentary flights and accommodations, with the tournament's Grand Final hosted at the luxurious Danat Al Ain Resort.
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Tournament Schedule and Structure
Key Dates
- Weekend Qualifiers: November 23-24, 2024, and November 30 - December 1, 2024
- Regional Finals: December 7-8, 2024 (three regional finals across major time zones)
- WildCard Open Qualifiers: December 15, 2024 - January 19, 2025
- Youth Division Qualifiers: January 12, 2025
- Youth Finals: January 18, 2025
- WildCard KO Final: January 19, 2025
- The Road to Al Ain Grand Final:
- Day A: January 28, 2025
- Day B: February 2, 2025 (Backup day)
- Venue: Danat Al Ain Resort, Al Ain
Stage 1 - Online Swiss Qualifiers
The Online Qualifiers consist of 3+2 Blitz Swiss-format tournaments (9 rounds) designed to advance top players from each division to the Regional Finals. The structure is as follows:
- Regional Qualifiers:
- Divisions: Under 2000, Under 2300, and Open.
- Format: Four qualifiers per Elo division hosted across three regions:
- AO (Asia & Oceania)
- EAS (Europe & Southern Africa)
- AM (Americas)
- Advancement: Top players from each qualifier advance to their respective regional finals.
- WildCard Open Qualifiers:
- Dates: 16 qualification tournaments held between December 15, 2024, and January 19, 2025.
- Players compete for a spot in the WildCard Open KO Final
- Youth Division Qualifiers:
- Date: January 12, 2025
- Timetable:
- 4:00 PM AEDT – 6:00 PM AEDT
- 8:30 PM AEDT – 11:30 PM AEDT
- Youth players under 18 compete for spots in the Youth Finals.
Stage 2 - Regional Finals, WildCard, and Youth Division KO Finals
All events in this stage follow the 3+2 Blitz single-elimination head-to-head KO format, ensuring fairness and excitement:
- Regional Finals:
- Dates: December 7-8, 2024
- Regions:
- AO (Asia & Oceania)
- EAS (Europe & Southern Africa)
- AM (Americas)
- Participants: 64 players per region (16 from Under 2000, 16 from Under 2300, and 32 from Open).
- Advancement: The top player from each region advances to the Grand Final.
- Youth Finals:
- Date: January 18, 2025
- Time: 8:30 PM AEDT – 11:30 PM AEDT
- Participants: Top youth players from the qualifiers compete for two Grand Final spots.
- WildCard KO Final:
- Date: January 19, 2025
- Time: 9:00 PM AEDT – 11:00 PM AEDT
- Participants: Winners of the WildCard Open Qualifiers compete for one Grand Final spot.
Format Details for All Events:
- Match Structure:
- Each matchup consists of two games.
- In the event of a tie, an Armageddon game determines the winner.
Stage 3 - Grand Final
Participants
- Three regional champions (AO, EAS, AM)
- WildCard winner
- Two Youth Champions
Format
- Round-robin phase followed by a double-elimination knockout format.
Dates
- Day A: January 28, 2025
- Day B: February 2, 2025 (Backup day)
Venue
- Danat Al Ain Resort, Al Ain
Registrations are now open. Players interested in competing can register at Checkmate.live.
An Invitation to Chess Enthusiasts Everywhere
"The Road to Al Ain" is a celebration of unity, excellence, and global camaraderie. Whether you’re a seasoned grandmaster or a passionate amateur, this tournament offers a unique opportunity to be part of a legacy event. Registration is now open, and we invite all chess enthusiasts to embark on this journey to the Grand Final in Al Ain.
The Road to Al Ain: Your Destination for Competitive Chess Awaits!
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Media Kit and Key Contacts
Website: https://www.checkmate.live
Media Kit : Press release (Word doc), video, images and social media graphics
Terms and Conditions and Ruleset: https://playbook.checkmate.live/echess-rulesets/the-road-to-al-ai
Contacts
Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club
Hesham Ali Al Taher
CEO, Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club
Secretary General of the Asian Chess Federation
asianchessfederation@yahoo.com
Checkmate Live
David Jenns MA LLM FRGS
Director, International Relations
Checkmate Live - UAE
+971506180752
david@checkmate.live
John McRae
Managing Director
Checkmate Live - Australia
john@checkmate.live
+61421001766
Book a meeting slot that fits your schedule
*The advertised Prize pool is subject to the official terms and conditions and ruleset.