Sunday 08 / June / 2025
MUSCAT: To commemorate and as part of the celebration of the 50th National Day of the Sultanate of Oman, The Zubair Corporation (Z-Corp), in association with Omani Chess Committee (OCC), has launched an online platform dedicated to the game of chess in the presence of Al Zubair Mohammed Al Zubair, Vice Chairman, The Zubair Corporation. The launch of this platform comes within the framework of the country's ongoing celebrations of the glorious 50thNational Day. The online platform which will help learn about chess is now active.
It may be recalled that since 2017, Z-Corp has been supporting the activities of OCC to enable it to increase the popularity of chess among people, especially youth. As part of this collaboration, Z-Corp established centres in Muscat, Sohar, Ibri, Nizwa and Dhofar to popularise the mind sport.
Speaking about the platform, Al Zubair Mohammed Al Zubair said: “The Zubair Corporation’s adoption of the activities of the Omani Chess Committee has contributed to achieving many of the goals and aspirations that the committee is working on to achieve, the most important being the popularising the game of chess. The partnership between Omani Chess Committee and The Zubair Corporation has contributed to the spread of the game in the various governorates of Oman. It has also contributed to an increase in the number of players and has helped prepare a generation of players to compete in local and international competitions. The launch of a platform to teach and learn chess on an online platform comes within the framework of continuous cooperation between the two organisations. We hope that this platform will achieve the planned goals.”
He added that The Zubair Corporation through its social responsibility seeks to strengthen its partnership with the local community by adopting many cultural, health and sports initiatives that come within its resolve to serve the local community through its partnership with many government institutions and civil society institutions. These partnerships have achieved many aspirations, which is largely reflected in the various groups and segments of society.
The online platform has been launched at a time when COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted normalcy. This online chess platform is certain to constitute a rapid growth in interest and participation, particularly with most people confined to their homes because of the COVID-19. Online chess has not only survived but also thrived in Oman. Z-Corp and OCC have already conducted online chess tournaments online and received a tremendous response.
The platform will help players learn, prepare, develop and maintain their game in addition to keeping up with modern technologies. The platform hosts many topics related to chess, which will be available online and can be accessed anywhere and at any time. The committee in charge of preparing the platform has collected a lot of chess-related materials for the benefit of visitors. Interested individuals will get all related information, tactics, appropriate analysis and news about the game.
Commenting on the launching of the chess, Ahmed bin Darwish Al Balushi, Chairman of the Oman Chess Committee said, “The idea of an online platform came with an intention to provide easy access to chess-related activities. Interested visitors will find knowledge, chess materials and training videos in one place.”
Explaining that the committee has formed a working group to prepare the chess platform, he said, “The platform will include many sections, including the history of international and Omani chess, educational lessons, the Oman Chess Channel on YouTube, a chess library, the communication page and announcements, and the chess news archive.”
He added, “The committee has collected historical materials that document the beginnings of the game and the formation of the International Chess Federation (FIDA), international tournaments, Chess Olympiad and others. It will also have local information on the launch of the Omani Chess Committee in 2014. The Oman Chess Channel on YouTube contains many topics including training, explanations, courses and analysis. The platform provides a direct link to the channel. The electronic library, which is one of the most important features of the chess platform, will have many chess books.”
Ahmed Al Balushi said, “We thank the Z-Corp for its continuous support to the committee, as we have been able, through this partnership, to achieve many milestones. We are happy to launch a platform when the country is celebrating50 years of Oman’s National Day.”
The partnership between the Z-Corp and the Omani Chess Committee has achieved many successes, and the Zubair Chess Centres spread across the various governorates of the country, which has contributed to increasing numbers of chess players. The launching of the platform comes at a time when the country is celebrating a special occasion of 50th National Day. This platform is undoubtedly a gateway for all researchers and those interested in the game of chess in the Sultanate, as this platform contains all the information and topics related to the game of, whether in the Sultanate or at the global level. This educational project will achieve its desired goal, which is to spread the game among members of society. So far the efforts of Z-Corp have helped in finding a new generation of players who are ready to represent the Sultanate in international platforms. The Zubair Corporations’ decision to establish training centres across Oman has provided a platform for aspiring chess champions to train and continue improving their game. This platform contributes to popularising the game.
Stressing that through this platform, Z-Corp seeks to achieve more goals and ambitions of the Omani Chess Committee, Faisal Al Mandhari said, “We thank all those who played an important role in the success of this educational project. This undoubtedly parallels the efforts existing between the committee and the institution in spreading the game of chess among all segments of society. We certainly want to inspire future chess grandmasters in Oman. The launch of this platform will contribute to the service of chess practitioners, especially the young population, by obtaining information and tactics for this game, as well as an opportunity to strengthen this partnership between the public and private sectors in serving the local community.”
As a private sector player, Z-Corp is keen on realising a long-term strategy aimed at providing support for the youth to invest their energies positively in the world of sports. The group has been constantly supporting and engaging with clubs and associations which focus on young talent while developing and strengthening local communities at the same time.
