Bashar Masri Launches Largest Chess Championship in Palestine in Years, Champion Al-Damij Wins Title and Qualifies for World Championship in Qatar

SadaNews: In the presence and participation of the President of the Palestinian Chess Federation, Bashar Masri, a rapid chess championship was held in the city of Rawabi, organized by the city and the Palestinian Chess Federation, as part of a strategic partnership aimed at supporting sports activities and developing the game of chess in Palestine.

The championship, held in an atmosphere filled with competition and excitement and according to the Swiss system, saw wide participation from players of various age categories who came from different cities in the West Bank despite the military barriers and closures that hinder movement. This notable participation contributed to ranking the championship as the largest event in chess sports in Palestine in many years.

The results concluded with champion Mohammed Al-Damij winning first place, officially qualifying for the World Rapid Chess Championship scheduled in Qatar, while champion Mohammed Sidr took second place, and champion Omar Tume came in third. Champions Ahmad Abdul Wahab and Rashid Hassan ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, while champion Randa Sidr and champion Ahmad Awad received awards for the best youth and junior performers.

Commenting on these results, the Secretary of the Palestinian Chess Federation, Omar Al-Jabari, said: "We believe in the federation that these participations represent a real opportunity to hone players' skills and open doors to external competition for them, and we have worked under the guidance of the federation president, Mr. Bashar Masri, to prepare all organizational and technical conditions that ensure the success of the championship from all aspects," emphasizing that the wide participation in the championship is, in itself, an important achievement, especially under the circumstances and challenges the country is facing.

He added: "The partnership with the city of Rawabi represents a distinguished model of integration between sectors locally, and we hope that this championship will serve as a template for a series of joint activities that benefit players of all age categories."

It is worth mentioning that the Rawabi Rapid Chess Championship is an internationally rated tournament, managed by an international judging crew to ensure the application of the highest standards of organization and neutrality.