Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 11 November 2026 — The opening ceremony and first round of the Asian Nations Chess Cup 2026 took place on 10 November at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, launching the contest for the men’s and women’s continental team titles.

The championship is organized by the UAE Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind Games as the Local Organizing Committee.

Opening ceremony launches the championship

Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Sultan bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation, inaugurated the event. Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ceremony included traditional performances by students from Sama International School and a ceremonial opening move.

Men: seven teams open with clean sweeps

India defeated Lebanon 4–0, while Russia overcame Nepal by the same score. China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Malaysia and Syria also recorded 4–0 victories to begin their campaigns with maximum board points.

Uzbekistan beat Palestine 3½–½. In the all-host encounter, United Arab Emirates 1 defeated United Arab Emirates 3 by 3–1, while Sri Lanka secured a 3–1 win against Bahrain.

Men’s Round 1 results

Team	Score	Team
India	4–0	Lebanon
Nepal	0–4	Russia
China	4–0	New Zealand
United Arab Emirates 2	0–4	Kazakhstan
Mongolia	4–0	Pakistan
Palestine	½–3½	Uzbekistan
United Arab Emirates 1	3–1	United Arab Emirates 3
Oman	0–4	Malaysia
Sri Lanka	3–1	Bahrain
Hong Kong, China	0–4	Syria

Women: Russia, China, Uzbekistan and Mongolia score 4–0

Russia defeated United Arab Emirates A 4–0. China, Uzbekistan and Mongolia matched that score against United Arab Emirates B, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates C (Abu Dhabi), respectively.

India opened with a 3½–½ victory over New Zealand, while Kazakhstan defeated Sri Lanka 3–1. All six matches produced decisive team results.

Women’s Round 1 results

Team	Score	Team
Russia	4–0	United Arab Emirates A
Sri Lanka	1–3	Kazakhstan
India	3½–½	New Zealand
United Arab Emirates B	0–4	China
Uzbekistan	4–0	Pakistan
United Arab Emirates C (Abu Dhabi)	0–4	Mongolia

Competition and upcoming rounds

Matches are contested over four boards, with a time control of 90 minutes per player plus a 30-second increment from move one. A team win earns two match points and a drawn match one.

The men’s competition comprises nine rounds and the women’s seven. Round 2 in both sections begins at 15:00 on 11 November. The men have a double-round day on 12 November, at 10:00 and 18:00, while the women resume with Round 3 on 13 November. All times are Abu Dhabi local time (UTC+4).

The final rounds are scheduled for 11:00 on 17 November, followed by the closing ceremony that evening. The official event period concludes with departures on 18 November.

Chief Arbiter Saeed Alkhouri leads the officiating team, supported by Deputy Chief Arbiters Salman Tarek Taher and Swapnil Dharamdas Bansod.

Follow every board online

Follow the championship on the official tournament website, with men’s results and women’s results on Chess-Results. All boards are broadcast online, allowing supporters to follow the action remotely. Visit the Chess.com live coverage and the Abu Dhabi Chess Club Instagram account for games and event updates.