Karpov Cup Concludes: Jeddah Chess Tournament Wraps Up with Victorious Moments
The conclusion of the the Arabian Karpov Cup for U18 held as part of the Jeddah International Youth Chess Festival, conducted in a Swiss system over 9 rounds with the participation of 65 players, yielded the following final results:
First Place
1️⃣ Candidate Master (CM) Rouda Issa
Rouda Issa Alserkal, born in 2009, known as the "Chess Icon" or, as she is called in the UAE, the "Golden Star," has achieved the World Chess Championship in the under-8 category. She has won more than 20 medals at the Asian and global levels, continuously participating in both domestic and international tournaments, from camps to championships. She clinched her first championship by winning the gold medal at the Asian Schools Chess Championship for the under-six category in 2014 in Taipei. Later, she secured the bronze medal at the Asian Individual Chess Championship for girls under 8 in 2014. Rouda's accomplishments continued with victories and various medals in local, regional, and international competitions. Rouda has reached a rating of 1882 points, holding the title of "Candidate Master," and is striving to achieve the title of "International Master," the title preceding the "Grandmaster" title.
2️⃣ Mohamed Humeidan (on the left)
3️⃣ Alvaro Bravo (on the right)
4️⃣ Cristina Sureda
5️⃣ Saul Robledo
| Photos capturing moments from the closing ceremony |
Congratulations to the Spanish team for brightening the festival with its presence!
Chbihi shines with 5 victories at Jeddah Chess Festival, leading in the African category alongside Algeria and Egypt. A notable achievement for Morocco!
Summary of the Karpov Cup Tournament Results: General Ranking:
| Award | Name | sex | FED | RtgI | Pts. |
| 1st General | Rouda Essa, Alserkal | F | UAE | 1882 | 7.5 |
| 2nd General | Humaidan Mohamed, Alzaabi | UAE | 1565 | 7.5 | |
| 3rd General | Bravo De La Vega, Alvaro | ESP | 2121 | 7 | |
| 1st Girl | Sureda Gonzalez, Cristina | F | ESP | 1818 | 7 |
| 2nd Girl | Sawan, Eman | F | PLE | 1807 | 6 |
| 3rd Girl | Toquero Gracia, Laura | F | ESP | 1727 | 5.5 |
| 1st 2006-2007 | Robledo Sanchez, Saul | ESP | 2000 | 6.5 | |
| 2nd 2006-2007 | Garijo Perez, Hugo | ESP | 2270 | 6 | |
| 3rd 2006-2007 | Sureda Gonzalez, Miquel | ESP | 1849 | 6 | |
| 1st 2008-2009 | Rashed Abubaker, Alhemeiri | UAE | 1654 | 6 | |
| 2nd 2008-2009 | Fates, Omer Salah | LBA | 1867 | 6 | |
| 3rd 2008-2009 | Romero Barkouk, Rayan | ESP | 1868 | 5.5 | |
| 1st 2010-2011 | Al-Qudaimi, Abdullah | YEM | 1494 | 6.5 | |
| 2nd 2010-2011 | Shahan, Abu Sayeed | IND | 1087 | 6 | |
| 3rd 2010-2011 | Sultan, Zaid. | SYR | 0 | 5.5 | |
| 1st 2012-2013 | Almutairi, Musaad H | KSA | 0 | 5 | |
| 2nd 2012-2013 | Almutairi, Mashhour Hassan S | KSA | 0 | 4.5 | |
| 3rd 2012-2013 | Rahali, Mohamed Hedi | TUN | 0 | 4.5 | |
| 1st 2014-2015 | Al Maawali, Yousuf | OMA | 0 | 4.5 | |
| 2nd 2014-2015 | Al Riyami, Majd | OMA | 1087 | 4 | |
| 3rd 2014-2015 | Al Ghafri, Noor | F | OMA | 0 | 3.5 |
| 1st 2016+ | Khalil, Omar | SYR | 0 | 3.5 | |
| 2nd 2016+ | Al Saud, Faisal Bin Talal | KSA | 0 | 2.5 | |
| 3rd 2016+ | Hoor, Fatima | F | IND | 0 | 1 |