Arab power buys Linares, "the Wimbledon of chess" (Feature)

By Sebastian Fest Feb 24, 2009, 16:04 GMT

Dubai - Linares - one of the most-renowned tournaments in world chess - is surrendering to the power of an Arab businessman, who is set to bring the best players to the desert in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2010.

'We pay the expenses of players and the prizes, I think around 2 million euros (some 2.5 million dollars),' Sulaiman Al Fahim told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in an interview in Dubai.

'From 2010, the tournament will be held in Spain and the UAE,' he said.

A powerful real estate businessman, he is better known outside his native country as the architect of the purchase of Premier League club Manchester City by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Al Fahim - at 31 a goodwill ambassador for the UN - has for years dreamt of bringing Linares to the UAE.

'Linares is a great tournament, I played there 10 years ago,' he said during an interview held at his office at Hydra Properties.

Like others, this real estate company is suffering the global financial crisis, particularly in the aftermath of Dubai's years-long real-estate boom.

Al Fahim does not plan to deprive the southern Spanish town of Linares, in the Andalusian province of Jaen, of its best promotional tool.

The so-called Wimbledon of chess is still set to be played in Linares. However, as was the case in 2006 and 2008 when it shared the spotlight with the Mexican city of Morelia, play is set to be split half and half between two sites.

Will the UAE site be in Dubai or in the capital, Abu Dhabi?

Al Fahim, who has been president of the UAE Chess Federation for just six months, still does not know.

'I don't want to give the first chance to Abu Dhabi. There are many clubs, and I want to see which ones are interested in hosting the tournament,' he noted.

It could be a mix, 'one year in Dubai, one year in Sharjah, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi...'

'Let's see,' Al Fahim said.

He is worried about the likelihood that the new plans for Linares are overshadowed by the FIFA Club World Cup, which is set to be held in Abu Dhabi in 2009 and 2010.

'It's great, but I don't know, having the World Club Cup, if it's the best timing,' he admitted.

The Linares tournament has been held since 1978 - except for two years. It acquired a particularly good reputation upon being chosen for many years by the Russian Garry Kasparov - by then the world champion - as one of only a few tournaments he would play. Indeed, it was at Linares 2005 that the Russian announced his definitive retirement.

The defending champion is the Indian Viswanathan Anand, while the list of winners features names like Anatoly Karpov, Boris Spassky, Vladimir Kramnik, Vassily Ivanchuk and Jan Timman.

Al Fahim, who admires all those players, only regrets that he could not close the deal in person in Linares.

'I was supposed to visit Linares this weekend, but I couldn't go because of meetings here. My vice president went for the meetings there,' he noted.

'My team didn't report yet from Spain, probably they took vacation,' he smiled.

What is certain, however, is that the tournament is set to move. After revolutionizing football, Al Fahim now wants to cause a stir in a much more discreet and calm passion, chess.