On February 17th, prior to the official Opening Ceremony for the FIDE 2017 Sharjah Grand Prix, Kaspersky Lab conducted cybersecurity training for 18 Grandmasters, as part of its commitment as official cybersecurity partner of FIDE and World Chess.
Dubai, 18 February, 2017
On February 17th, prior to the official Opening Ceremony for the FIDE 2017 Sharjah Grand Prix, Kaspersky Lab conducted cybersecurity training for 18 Grandmasters, as part of its commitment as official cybersecurity partner of FIDE and World Chess. During the session, Mohamad Amin Hasbini, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab, provided insights into modern cybersecurity to all tournament participants.
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Amir Kanaan, Kaspersky Lab’s General Manager in the Middle East, said: “Chess is closely tied with today’s information technologies: a lot of people play online or use special apps. Chess Grandmasters train with computer programs, while online broadcasts allow fans around the world to enjoy watching world-famous players in chess championships, such as the one in Sharjah. It’s great to see just how popular this intellectual game is, but as a company specializing in IT security, we also hope to raise awareness about cybersecurity threats among chess players and fans, to make the game of chess ‘cybersafe’.”
The Opening Ceremony saw a host of VIP guests gather at the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club. The club’s chairman, Sheikh Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Mualla, welcomed guests from the world of sport, entertainment, culture and politics, as well as 18 Grandmasters who are competing at the Grand Prix for a prize fund of 130,000 euros.
They included Salem Saleh, the first Grandmaster from UAE to compete in an official World Chess Championship event. He said: “I am honored to be representing my country at the Sharjah Grand Prix. Competing against the world’s top players will be the greatest challenge of my career and I hope that the Grand Prix encourages more people in Sharjah and UAE to take up chess.”
Georgious Makropoulos, Deputy President of FIDE commented: “I am delighted that Sharjah is hosting the first Grand Prix of 2017. Chess in UAE is rapidly gaining popularity and the Grand Prix will only accelerate that trend.”
Ilya Merenzon, CEO of World Chess said: “The Sharjah Grand Prix will elevate chess in UAE and is a fitting start to the 2017 FIDE Grand Prix series. The new Swiss format is an exciting innovation and one which will improve the spectator experience.”
The first round of the Sharjah Grand Prix started at 3pm on February 18th. Chess fans can follow all the action at www.worldchess.com.
