Ninety Indian players including 12 GMs and 13 IMs are taking part in the Abu Dhabi International Open Chess Championship 2018 in UAE from August 6 to 16. Six coaches are also accompanying the Indian delegation to Abu Dhabi. The team has been sent to the prestigious event as part of an exposure tour ahead of the World Youth and the World Cadets Chess Championships to be held in Greece and Spain later this year.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Affairs is sponsoring the full expenditure of National Youth and Senior championships winners for this exposure trip.
Former World Junior champion Abhijeet Gupta, ranked 21, heads the Indian challenge. Karthikeyan Murali, two-time National champion, Aravindh Chithambaram Vr, Narayanan.S L, reigning National champion M. R. Lalit Babu and IM Nihal Sarin are other Indians with a rating of over 2500 in the 9-round contest.
Starting rank
| No. | Name | FideID | FED | Rtg | ||
| 1 | GM | Le Quang Liem | 12401137 | VIE | 2727 | |
| 2 | GM | Rapport Richard | 738590 | HUN | 2718 | |
| 3 | GM | Cheparinov Ivan | 2905540 | GEO | 2717 | |
| 4 | GM | Wang Hao | 8602883 | CHN | 2711 | |
| 5 | GM | Fedoseev Vladimir | 24130737 | RUS | 2706 | |
| 6 | GM | Dubov Daniil | 24126055 | RUS | 2690 | |
| 7 | GM | Amin Bassem | 10601457 | EGY | 2683 | |
| 8 | GM | Sargissian Gabriel | 13300881 | ARM | 2680 | |
| 9 | GM | Sjugirov Sanan | 4189302 | RUS | 2677 | |
| 10 | GM | Korobov Anton | 14105730 | UKR | 2662 | |
| 11 | GM | Short Nigel D | 400025 | ENG | 2659 | |
| 12 | GM | Morozevich Alexander | 4116992 | RUS | 2656 | |
| 13 | GM | Akopian Vladimir | 13300032 | ARM | 2655 | |
| 14 | GM | Kravtsiv Martyn | 14113147 | UKR | 2653 | |
| 15 | GM | Parligras Mircea-Emilian | 1204297 | ROU | 2644 | |
| 16 | GM | Maghsoodloo Parham | 12539929 | IRI | 2636 | |
| 17 | GM | Salem A.R. Saleh | 9301348 | UAE | 2635 | |
| 18 | GM | Adly Ahmed | 10601619 | EGY | 2634 | |
| 19 | GM | Lupulescu Constantin | 1207822 | ROU | 2619 | |
| 20 | GM | Vocaturo Daniele | 813192 | ITA | 2617 | |
| 21 | GM | Gupta Abhijeet | 5010608 | IND | 2613 | |
| 22 | GM | Petrosian Tigran L. | 13301616 | ARM | 2610 | |
| 23 | GM | Karthikeyan Murali | 5074452 | IND | 2609 | |
| 24 | GM | Jumabayev Rinat | 13702661 | KAZ | 2608 | |
| 25 | GM | Andersen Mads | 1413864 | DEN | 2601 | |
| 26 | GM | Idani Pouya | 12510130 | IRI | 2599 | |
| 27 | GM | Tabatabaei M.Amin | 12521213 | IRI | 2590 | |
| 28 | GM | Pantsulaia Levan | 13602071 | GEO | 2587 | |
| 29 | GM | Jojua Davit | 13602543 | GEO | 2582 | |
| 30 | GM | Aravindh Chithambaram Vr. | 5072786 | IND | 2581 |
FIDE World Championships U7, U9, U11, U13, U15 & U17 – 2026 in Roquetas de Mar, Spain from 13th to 21st October 2026 
Asian Amateur Chess Championships – 2026 (Men & Women U2300 – U2000 – U1700) in Bangkok, Thailand from 20th to 30th November, 2026. 
Final report :Asian Junior Open & Girls Chess Championships 2026 in Mumbai from 16-26 August 2026 
FIDE World Junior U20 Chess Championships – 2026 in Greater Caracas, Venezuela from 17th to 28th November, 2026. 
20th Asian Schools Chess Championships – 2026 in Tula region ,Russia from 1st to 11th October 2026. 
39th NATIONAL UNDER-7 OPEN & GIRLSCHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2026