Four Kurdish chess players are representing Iraq at the 2026 Arab Youth and Junior Chess Championship in Egypt as part of the country’s 10-member national delegation.
The Kurdish
participants are
Parwa Pishtiwan,
Nvar Sardar, and Lawin Muhammad from Erbil, along with Rahand Awder from Slemani. They are competing in different age categories
ranging from
Under-8 to Under-20 in both boys’ and girls’ divisions.
The championship, which began on July 29 and continues until August 4, has brought together around 350 male and female players representing 16 Arab national teams. Competitors are competing for 28 individual medals across multiple age groups.
Speaking to Yariga Sport, Pishtiwan Sheikh Ahmed, a member of the Iraqi Chess Federation, said the tournament is expected to feature strong competition in all categories.
“A total of 350 male and female chess players representing 16 Arab national teams are participating in the championship, competing for 28 medals,” Sheikh Ahmed said. “It is an individual tournament, and intense competition is expected across all age groups.”
He expressed hope that Iraq’s delegation, including the four Kurdish players, would achieve strong results despite the high level of competition.
“I wish our players success. Although their task is challenging, I hope they return home with strong results and medals,” he added.
The Arab Youth and Junior Chess Championship is one of the region’s leading annual youth chess events, providing young players with valuable international experience and the opportunity to compete against some of the best talents in the Arab world.
Chess has a long history in Kurdish areas, with its roots connected to the ancient game of Shatranj, which spread across Mesopotamia and Persia. Traditionally, chess was played in tea houses and community gatherings in cities such as Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and Halabja, alongside other traditional games.
Kurdish players began gaining national recognition during the second half of the 20th century. Among the most prominent figures is Firmesk Wirya Qaneh, who dominated Iraqi women’s chess for more than a decade, winning the national championship 11 consecutive times from 1980 to 1992. In 1985, she became the first Kurdish woman to win a gold medal at the Arab Chess Championship in Casablanca, Morocco. She later represented Kurdish chess internationally and famously drew against former world champion Anatoly Karpov in 2000.
Today, Kurdish chess continues to develop through institutions such as Khanzad Chess Club in Erbil, which plays a key role in training players, organizing competitions, and hosting FIDE-rated events. Chess programs have also been introduced in schools to encourage critical thinking and develop young talent.
Kurdish cities have increasingly hosted major chess events. Duhok organized Iraq’s first official FIDE-sanctioned International Chess Championship in 2011, while Erbil hosted the Asian Senior Chess Championship in 2025. Annual tournaments in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah continue to strengthen the region’s position on the international chess map.