Fedoseev Vladimir ( Russian Grandmaster ) and Howell David WL ( English Grandmaster ) compete at the 17th Dubai Open Chess Tournament

A record 165 Grand Masters will play for honours in the 22nd Abu Dhabi Chess Festival.

The competition from Sunday to August 31 consists of Masters, Open and Under-16 competitions and has attracted more than 500 players from around the world vying for a slice of the Dh250,000 prize money.

Hussain Abdullah Khouri, chairman of the organising committee, said the event has reached a milestone since it was launched 22 years ago.

“We could hardly get a few Grand Masters in those early years but now have more than 25 in the waiting list,” he said at the launching ceremony for the festival at the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche Hotel yesterday.

Salem Abdulrahman Saleh, the Asian Cup winner in Al Ain last week, spearheads the home challenge.

The Emirati, 22, is ranked 26th in the competition but the spotlight will be firmly focused on the 10-year-old prodigy FM (Fide Master) Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Uzbekistan. Details