In tandem with the World Youth Championships in the United Arab Emirates, two Swiss tournaments were held: one for players FIDE rated 2000 and less, and one open to all. The top Open attracted dozens of grandmasters. Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta from India took clear first in the Open Tournament.
Overall, the youth championships turned out to be a gruelling affair for the many who sought glory in the different age groups. Garry Kasparov turned up to inspire the children, many of whom were accompanied by their parents. There were 1773 entrants from 171 countries. Guyana did not participate in the youth championships. Of all the nations, India was the biggest winner with a total of eight medals inclusive of three gold.
Although China won three golds, their total was not quite as expansive. Russia claimed one gold, one silver and three bronze. Clearly, the