Uganda Chess News: Ssegwanyi, Kabengano win Kawuma Open Chess Championship

Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hello everyone,

Let's catch up on some chess news from Uganda: Former National Chess Champion, Arthur Ssegwanyi put up an unbeaten display to win the Kawuma Open Chess Championship with 5.5 points out of 6 at Hotel Africana on Sunday. 

Ssegwanyi who only drew with Bob Bibasa in the last round walked away with a prestigious trophy and a cash prize of one million Uganda shillings (1,000,000/=). In second position was IM Elijah Emojong at 5 points followed by Mathias Allan Ssonko, also at 5 points owing to tiebreak.

Six players tied on 5 points including Bob Bibasa, CM Patrick Kawuma and FM Harold Wanyama and they shared second and third prizes (totalling seven hundred thousand) amongst themselves.

Joyce Kabengano won the women's trophy and cash prize of four hundred thousand with 4 points followed by Olympians WCM Ivy Amoko and Goretti Angolikin with 3.5 points apiece. This was Kabengano's first major tournament victory.

Amoko was the player of the event after securing three big wins against strong male opposition including claiming the scalp of a much fancied and higher rated Haruna Nsubuga, David Muwanguziand drawing with veteran Joseph Kaamu.

The two day FIDE rated event attracted 72 players and was sponsored by Prof. and Mrs Kawuma and family to the tune of three million eighty thousand shillings only (3,080,000/=). The family led by Mrs. C. Kawuma who handed over the prizes pledged to continue sponsoring the event on an annual basis.

The Kawuma family is the most successful chess playing family in Uganda boasting of two FIDE Masters in Stephen and Moses Kawuma and Candidate Master Patrick Kawuma.

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Uganda Chess Players Dominate Bungoma International Chess

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

 

Ugandans dominated the just concluded Bungoma international chess tournament, bagging top two places in the open category. FIDE Master Herold Wanyama (right) was the overall winner in the open category after scoring 100 percent, according to a news report.
Bob Bibasa finished runners-up with six points after losing his fifth round to Jacob Onditi in a bizarre. Bibasa lost on technicality after his phone rang hence contravening chess rule which demands that all phones be switched off.

Olympiads included Kenya team captain Brian Kidula and Hinga Githinji, who garnered five points each with a tie break of 31.0 each. Joseph Atwoli, an Olympiad, chickened out on Day One and simply ran away due to the Uganda Cranes claws.

Other Kenyans who performed well include John Mukabi (women's team coach), who came third with 5.5 points and Jacob Onditi ,who came fourth with 5 points and a tie break of 33.5.

Kenya's Gyena Jumba posted 4 points to win the women's category and was followed by the Ugandan women's chess master Ivy Amoko with 4 points with a tie break of 24.0. The third position went to Maureen Njeri (MMUST) and Ann Kung'u (Kenya Polytechnic).

The top three for junior category was taken by Trevor Rombora, Rushit Hasmukh and Faith Rachel--all members Bungoma Chess Club and pupils's at Marrel Academy.

Kenya Polytechnic won the University and college category and were followed by Masinde Muliro. The tournament director Humphrey Nyongesa said the tournament had proved that the game was fast growing in the country.


From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
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