The curtain fell on the second edition of the final championship of the school chess project “Naqla” for the academic year (2024 – 2025), dedicated to primary schools, as part of the partnership between the Ministry of Sports and Youth, represented by the Qatar Chess Federation, and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

The championship featured separate competitions for government boys’ and girls’ schools, with 6 rounds for each category, and saw the participation of 120 students representing 12 primary schools, in the presence of several officials from both ministries and the federation.

In the boys’ individual competition, student Amir Nasan from Malik bin Anas Model Boys School secured first place, followed by Zaid Khalil from Khalifa Model Boys School in second place, and Yusuf Al-Saadi from Malik bin Anas Model Boys School in third place.

In the girls’ individual competition, student Zeina Shaker from Somaya Primary Girls School won first place, while Hiba Adel from the same school took second place, and Sharifa Al-Mushiri from Al-Markhiya Primary Girls School ranked third.

In the boys’ team competition, Malik bin Anas Model Boys School claimed first place, followed by Khalifa Model Boys School in second, and Hittin Model Boys School in third.

In the girls’ team competition, Somaya Primary Girls School achieved first place, with Al-Markhiya Primary Girls School second, and Al-Bayan First Primary Girls School taking third place.

The winners were crowned by Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al-Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ms. Maha Zayed Al-Qaqqa’ Al-Ruwaili, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs, and Mr. Hamad Al-Tamimi, Executive Director of the Qatar Chess Federation.

Al-Tamimi explained that the championship continues for the second consecutive year as an extension of the “Chess in Schools” project launched by the federation, aiming to develop and spread the game in schools, expand the base of participants in local tournaments, and increase the number of registered and internationally rated players.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al-Tamimi said: “We have been keen to develop this championship, which sees the participation of students in the ‘Naqla’ project. The stages witnessed outstanding competitions that revealed many promising talents, which will strengthen the chess base in Qatar, alongside the federation’s efforts to increase the number of schools participating in future tournaments.”

The Qatar Chess Federation continues its efforts to promote the game by organizing regular training and educational courses focusing on highlighting the educational benefits of practicing chess at various school stages. These courses include teaching the basics of the game, arbitration rules, tournament preparation mechanisms, as well as training and qualifying teachers to lead school chess teams and assist in organizing annual inter-school tournaments.