London, Feb. 27 (SANA) Syrian chess player Rami Talab finished third (tied for second place) in the blitz category at the 2026 Isle of Wight Chess Tournament in the United Kingdom.
Talab, 12, scored 7.5 points out of 9 in the blitz tournament, facing several Grandmasters. He defeated Grandmaster Shreyas Royal and drew with the tournament champion Grandmaster Vojtěch Plát, demonstrating the strength of Syrian talent.
Yazan Zawal, Head of Media and Marketing at the Syrian Arab Chess Federation, told SANA that Talab’s achievement reflects his high technical skills and represents a successful investment in the nation’s future, setting an example of what determination and proper support can achieve.
In the standard category, Talab entered with a rating of 2187 and achieved six full victories, rising from 40th place at the start of the tournament to finish in 15th place.
