Club Double Eight have been crowned champions of the STO Boduriya Championship 2026, storming through all seven rounds without losing a single match: a near-flawless run that capped off one of the most exciting team chess events the Maldives has seen in recent years.
The 10-board rapid chess showdown, jointly hosted by Castle Chess Club and the Maldives Chess Association, drew 84 players from seven clubs across the country. What made the turnout especially memorable was the mix of generations on display: competitors as young as nine sat across the board from veterans well into their sixties, all chasing the same prize.
Beyond bragging rights, Club Double Eight walked away with a cool MVR 50,000. Their championship-winning lineup read like a who’s who of Maldivian chess, headlined by the country’s top-rated player and multi-time national champion Mohamed Shuaau. Alongside were Mohamed Hassan (Mohan), Abdul Rahman Ali (Adurey), Ahmed Ashraf( Anand), Mohamed Hameed (Bodey), Mohamed Rayyan Shakir, Abdus Samad Ahmed, Ahmed Nizam, Mohamed Rakin Fayaz, Hussain Nimal, Ali Arham, and Nabeel Abdul Muhsin.
Hot on their heels were Zugzwang Chess, who finished as runners-up with six wins from seven rounds: a strong showing that kept the title race interesting right down to the closing stretch.
Individual Highlights
The STO Boduriya Championship 2026 also shined a spotlight on individual brilliance. Ten-year-old Ismail Arkin Hassan of Passed Pawns Chess Club and Academy took home the award for the youngest player to score a point for his team, a moment that drew plenty of applause from the crowd. His clubmate Aishath Zara Shimad was named Best Female Player of the tournament.
The Most Valuable Player honours, handed out to the top point-scorers for each side, went to Hussain Nimal (Club Double Eight), Ahmed Abubakuru “Baka” (Zugzwang Chess Club), and Ahmed Yamin (Castle Chess Club).
A Grand Closing Night
The tournament wrapped up with a closing ceremony attended by more than a hundred guests, with STO’s Director General Trading, Ibrahim Mirzag, representing the title sponsor. Organizers offered healtfelt thanks to STO for backing the event, noting that the corporation’s continued investment in sports and community initiatives plays a real role in nurturing a sharper, healthier generation of Maldivians.
Appreciation was also extended to media partner Sun.mv, printing partner Inked Maldives, technical partner Gizmo, as well as Yamo and Orchid’s Aura for their support behind the scenes.
The Clubs
- Club Double Eight
- Club Checkmate
- Castle Chess Club and Academy
- Zugzwang Chess Club
- Maldives Chess Club
- Genius Chess Club
- Passed Pawns Chess Club and Academy
Why This Format Hits Different
According to the organizers, what set the STO Boduriya Championship 2026 apart was its 10-board team format. With every single board feeding into the team’s final result, no player could afford to cast: every move on every board mattered. It’s a setup that rewards depth as much as it does star power.
Chess, known locally as “Raazuvaa,” has long held a special place in Maldivian culture and history. Beyond tradition, organizers reminded attendees of the game’s broader benefits: sharper focus, discipline, strategic thinking, and better decision-making, all skills that pay off far beyond the chessboard.
Participating teams praised the championship’s organization and agreed that this team-based format could be exactly what chess needs to grow even more popular across the islands. Castle Chess Club has already confirmed that ‘Boduriya’ will return as an annual fixture, urging teams to start preparing now for the next edition.
In a Maldivian first, seven matches were live-streamed on Castle Chess Club’s YouTube channel, where they remain available for fans and chess enthusiasts to revisit at any time.