Doha

The Hyatt Plaza Open Blitz Chess Championship, organized by the Qatar Chess Association, concluded successfully after attracting 80 participants, with Filipino player Leola Rollinson securing the title after finishing with 8.5 points.

India’s Alpin Sajan claimed second place with 7.5 points, while fellow Indian John Jobsey completed the podium in third with 7 points.

Filipino Ryan Mendoza finished fourth on 6.5 points, followed by India’s Parveen Adwaith, who also scored 6.5 points but placed fifth based on the tournament’s tiebreak criteria. Another Indian player, Rajesh Hari, secured sixth place with 6.5 points.

Special awards were also presented during the closing ceremony. Layan Al Qassabi received the prize for Best Qatari Female Player, while Ahmed Saif was recognized as the Best Qatari Male Player.

The championship officially began last Wednesday with a special exhibition match featuring Grandmaster Victor Bologan, who played simultaneously against 20 participants, including chess enthusiasts and visitors to Hyatt Plaza Mall.

Alongside the open blitz event, the Qatari Players’ Rapid Chess Championship was held over seven rounds. Khalid Al Jumaat captured first place after scoring 6 points.

Ahmed Saif finished second with 5.5 points, while Layan Al Qassabi claimed third place with 5 points.

Hamad Al Kuwari placed fourth, also on 5 points, finishing behind on tiebreaks. Khalid Al Ziyara and Fahad Al Mansouri shared fifth place with 5 points each, while Turki Al Kuwari and Abdulaziz Al Mahasna finished seventh and eighth respectively, both scoring 4.5 points.

Ibrahim Al Janahi and Khalifa Al Qahtani rounded out the top ten, tying for ninth and tenth places with 4.5 points each.

Qatar Chess Association President Mohammed Al Mudahka praised the overall organization of the competitions, highlighting the strong participation across the Open Blitz Championship, the Under-16 tournament, and the championship for Qatari players.

Al Mudahka also commended the association’s long-standing partnership with Hayat Plaza Mall, noting that the continued collaboration plays an important role in promoting chess within the local community and expanding the game’s popularity across Qatar.