A week of FIDE-rated competition across Open, Rapid, Youth and Team sections, hosted annually in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival is the club's flagship event and one of the highest-participation open tournaments in the Middle East. Each edition draws Grandmasters, national teams, titled players and hundreds of amateur competitors to play under FIDE regulations, with results counted toward official international ratings.
The Festival is structured so that a beginner and a Grandmaster can compete in the same venue, on the same days, without ever sharing a board: the Open section carries the main prize fund and title norms, while parallel Rapid, Youth and Team events run throughout the week for players at every stage.
Register for this year's edition9 rounds · FIDE-rated Swiss system · Open to all national federations · Norm opportunities for IM and GM titles · Youth and Rapid side events
9-round FIDE Swiss, no rating ceiling. Carries the main prize fund and norm opportunities.
A separately-rated rapid event held mid-week, played at 15 minutes plus 10-second increment.
Age categories from Under-8 to Under-18, each contested as its own Swiss group.
Four-board teams representing clubs and federations, played over dedicated rounds.
Open section: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, plus 30 minutes to the end of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one. Rapid and Youth sections use shorter FIDE-approved controls listed on the schedule page.
All sections are paired using the Swiss system under FIDE rules, with pairings and results published within 30 minutes of each round's completion. See our guide to how Swiss-system pairings work for a full explanation.
The Festival is directed by a FIDE-licensed Chief Arbiter, supported by a team of national arbiters. Anti-cheating measures include phone-free playing halls, metal detection at entry, and delayed live broadcast on the top boards.
The Open section is FIDE-rated and norm-eligible for players meeting the performance and opposition requirements set out in the FIDE Title Regulations.