A Qatar resident has secured the Open Blitz Chess Championship title, the Qatar Chess Federation announced, according to The Peninsula.

Filipino national Alvin Bing clinched the win by five and a half points over his competitor Ryan Mendoza, who placed second with Lopesan de Goya finishing third.

Organised by the Qatar Chess Training Centre under the supervision of the Qatar Chess Federation, 63 players participated in the championship.

Earlier last month, Secretary-General of the Qatar Chess Federation Yousef Muhammad al-Mutawa commented on the federation’s role in including chess matches for the youth in the country.

“Hosting such events brings us several positives, including expanding the game further in line with Qatar’s Vision 2030 by preparing a conscious chess generation that will be able to represent our national teams in international events,” said al-Mutawa.

Chess in Qatar has grown popular with the endorsements of such activities from The Qatar Chess Federation.

Over the last few years, several initiatives have been initiated to generate interest in the sport.

In 2019, The Public Parks Department of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment constructed the first chess playground in Onaiza Park.

Much of Qatar’s chess legacy stems from the late Mohammed bin Khalid bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, who passed away earlier this year.

Al Thani served as the President of Qatar’s Olympic Committee, President of the Football Association, and President of the Qatar Chess Federation, and helped pave the way for today’s Qatar Chess Federation.