There could soon be a top chess contender from the Arab world, says Anand

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Viswanathan Anand has fond memories of playing in the UAE as a youngster, when he featured in the World Juniors in Sharjah back in 1985 and the Dubai Olympiad in 1986.

And Anand, now 53, believes the world’s first franchise-based chess league — the Global Chess League (GCL) will produce some top talent from the UAE and the Arab world.

“I played the Dubai Olympiad back in 1986. I played the World Juniors in Sharjah in 1985. So, my association with tournaments organised here, goes back a very, very long way. So, in that sense, Dubai has always seen itself as a host, the meeting point, and that's why it's also became the perfect location for the league,” Anand told the Khaleej Times.

The 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, last year, witnessed a number of Arab teams compete.

Anand, who is now the deputy president of Fide, the governing body, said it is only a matter of time before we see a top Arab Grandmaster compete in the World Championship.

“I think it's coming close,” felt Anand.

"Many years ago, you had Grandmaster Mohammed Al Modiahki from Qatar. Now, probably the strongest player is Emirati Grandmaster Salem Saleh.

"And depends on the definition, but if you count North Africa, then there are a few more. But slowly, popularity of chess in the Arab world is going up, and especially in the Gulf countries.

"Events like this hopefully will trigger a lot of youngsters trying to learn to play and improve. And after that, it really snowballs and you will get it pretty fast. So, I hope that this league will be a catalyst for that,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Anand felt Dubai would be a strong contender to host World Chess Championship again, having successfully hosted the big event in 2021.