King Salman World Rapid and Blitz chess championship

[Alexandoy]

Saudi Arabia is hosting a chess tournament that opened on Christmas day. There 240 chess players from 70 countries including 16 players from Saudi Arabia. It can be remembered that Saudi Arabia top clerics banned chess in 2016 due to the possibility that it creates rivalries. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman allowed the tournament.

 

[to7update]

Blitz chess is another level of chess, but entertaining even so, when we don't have those long hours to play the regular game. I am average player, to go above that a lot if dedication is necessary.

 

[rz3300]

Chess was banned because it could form rivalries? Something tells me there is a little more to that story and now I am really curious about that so I might just have to go look that one up.

 

[to7update]

Different religions generate different habits that we fail to understand, but history has taught us that we should just respect differences.

 

[Alexandoy]

Just an update....

Emerging champions in the 2-day competition of World Blitz chess were Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia in the distaff side. Carlsen also won the World Blitz championship in Moscow in 2009 and also in Dubai in 2014. Placing second to Carlsen is Sergey Karjakin who won the silver on the strength of a tie-break with World Rapid Champion Viswanathan Anand.

 

[to7update]

Thanks for the update. Funny enough most of the world prefers collective sports over individual ones. I do wonder why.