Rwabushenyi Memorial Chess Championship in Uganda
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Rwabushenyi Memorial Chess Championship starts today in Uganda with Civil Aviation Authority staking over eleven million shillings for facilitation and cash prizes for excelling players. Here's a preview video by NTV Uganda's Alfred Odong.
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Labels: Chess video, rwabushenyi memorial chess, uganda chess
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.
Labels: bob bibasa, elijah emojong, harold wanyama, kabengano, kawuma open chess, patrick kawuma, ssegwanyi, uganda chess
Uganda Chess Video: Record Participation for Junior Tournament
Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Uganda - yes, the country of Phiona Mutesi - registered a record participation at their junior chess tournament recently. It is great that chess in Africa has become very popular in the last two years. Here is the video report.
Labels: Chess video, uganda chess
Uganda Chess: Elijah Emojong is National Champion 2013 on Tiebreak with Patrick Kawuma
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Fide Master Elijah Emojong has become the Uganda National Chess Champion 2013. He won the title on tiebreak criteria after scoring equal points as Uganda Chess Olympiad team member Patrick Kawuma. Both scored 9.5 points in 11 rounds at the tournament played at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel, according to a press release.
Emojong went into the last three rounds with a half-point lead over the rest of the field. Kawuma took the lead with a win over Aaron Kanaabi in the penultimate round even as Emojong lost to unrated Rajab Kamoga. However, Kawuma could only draw in the last round with national team member Harold Wanyama. Emojong beat Grace Nsubuga in the last round to draw level.
The Uganda national chess championship featured the country's top-12 players. Third place went to youngster Haruna Nsubuga with 8.5 points. Unrated Raphael Buti was fourth followed by Harold Wanyama.
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Labels: elijah emojong, harold wanyama, haruna nsubuga, patrick kawuma, raphael buti, uganda chess
Uganda Chess 2013 R4: Emojong, Nsubuga, Wanyama in Joint Lead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
This is the latest chess news update from the Uganda National Chess Championships 2013: Elijah Emojong, Haruna Nsubuga and Harold Wanyama maintained their lead after beating Daniel Bagaadde, Grace Nsubuga and Shadrack Kantinti respectively in the fourth round of the Uganda National Chess Championships at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel on Sunday 14 April 2013. The results put the trio on 3.5 points each out of a possible 4. They are closely followed by Patrick Kawuma and Raphael Buti at 3 points apiece. Kawuma beat Jordan Teeba while Buti drew with Aaron Kanaabi in the fourth round. Buti is among the few unrated players at the event but has so far excelled by winning two games and drawing two. In another game, Washaba Fred Kanduho drew with Rajab Kamoga.
In the women's section, defending champion Grace Kigeni is cruising at the top with 4 wins in four games. She beat Cathy Kenyange in the fourth round. She had earlier beaten fellow Olympian Goretti Angolikin, Sharon Twongyeire and Joyce Kabengano. In second position is Christine Namaganda with 3.5 points after she beat Joyce Kabengano in the fourth round. Olympian Ivy Amoko was upset by fast rising Sharon Twongyeire in the fourth round. Eight more rounds are to be played on 20-21 and 27-28 April 2013.
Mens Standings after 4 rounds:
1. Elijah Emojong 3.5 points
2. Haruna Nsubuga 3.5 points
3. Harold Wanyama 3.5 points
4. Patrick Kawuma 3 points
5. Raphael Buti 3 points
6. Shadrack Kantinti 2 points
7. Rajab Kamoga 1.5 points
8. Daniel Baagadde 1.5 points
9. Grace Nsubuga 1 point
10. Aaron Kanaabi 1 point
11. Jordan Teeba 0.5
12. Washaba Fred Kanduho 0.5
Top four women:
1. Grace Kigeni 4 points
2. Christine Namaganda 3.5 points
3. Sharon Twongyeire 2.5 points
4. Ivy Amoko 2.5 points
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Labels: elijah emojong, harold wanyama, haruna nsubuga, uganda chess
Uganda Chess Talent Phiona Mutesi Invited for Chess Game with Bill Gates
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Uganda's chess talent Phiona Mutesi has a special invitation for a game of chess! The invitation comes from none other than American billionaire Bill Gates. The yet unscheduled game was secured on a recent visit by Mutesi and her guardian Robert Katende to the US to promote a book about her life by American writer Tim Crothers, according to a report in New Vision.
The book, titled “The Queen of Katwe: a story of life, chess, and one extraordinary girl’s dream of becoming a grandmaster” has thrown Uganda’s chess fraternity in the international limelight, with CNN and BBC interested in Uganda’s chess whiz-kid.
Previous Chess Blog posts on Phiona Mutesi
“Bill Gates was impressed with the book and articles about Phiona Mutesi. He approached her benefactor, Katende and asked for a game with her as she toured the US,” highly placed sources in the Uganda Chess Federation (UCF) told theNew Vision Sport.
“He offered to have the game anytime she returns to the US, but an exact time and date have not yet been secured. Money for the air tickets has not been secured either.”
Mutesi, grew up in the slums of Katwe after her father died. The senior three students at St. Mbuga Vocational soon after, but, found a new lease of life through playing chess under the Sports Outreach Ministries, a Ugandan sports development outfit.
At 16 years, Mutesi has represented Uganda at the Istanbul Chess Olympiad in 2012 where she earned the title of Woman Candidate Master (WCM) as she continues to strive for the Grand Master (GM) title. Bill Gates is said to have keen interest in chess, despite his overwhelming successful business interests in Microsoft.
Disney, a movie company, has bought the rights to the book, and is said to have started work on a movie to supplement a documentary currently running on You Tube.
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Labels: bill gates, phiona mutesi, uganda chess
Uganda Chess: Three in Joint Lead after 3 Rounds at National Event
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Uganda Chess: By the close of the opening day of the National Chess Championships held at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel, Kampala, it was clearly evident that the competition for the available six slots for the International rating was very tight but healthy.
Three players, Martin Musiime, Rajab Kamoga and Richard Buyinza each returned identical scores of three points apiece having all won their respective games after three rounds played. The mood in the playing Hall was predictably tense though at most times relaxed. “If I continue with my form and composure, I believe will be among the six players to qualify,” Musiime told Kawowo sports.
Musiime beat fellow teenager Benjamin Mukumbya in the third round, Kamoga beat Malcolm Etoru while Buyinza defeated Samuel Musaza. Closely following the leaders are Aaron Kanaabi and Jordan Teeba at 2.5 points each.
In the women's category, Christine Namaganda is leading with 1.5 points followed by Olympian Goretti Angolikin and Cathy Kenyange at 1 point each.
A total of 52 players are battling for the top six slots to qualify and join the internationally rated players for the finals of the National Chess Championship that will be held in April 2013 also at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel.
The fourth, fifth and sixth rounds will be played on Saturday 9 March 2013 starting at 9.00 a.m before the 8 rounds tourney climaxes on Sunday with two other rounds.
The event is arbitrated by newly crowned FIDE Arbiter Christopher Turyahabwe who is also the Uganda Chess Federation's General Secretary.
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Labels: martin musiime, rajab kamoga, richard buyinza, uganda chess
Uganda Chess: Women's National Championship begins Today
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The first Uganda Chess Federation event of the year, 2013 is set to kick off on the International Women’s day, 8th March through to Sunday 10th at the Pope Paul Memorial Hotel, Kampala.
Stephen Kisuze who is the Federation’s Technical Director and a co-coordinator, according to him, this year’s National Championship is unique in that it is being held in two phases; the first (8-11 March 2013) will feature only players without international ratings with the objective of determining the top six (6) from the unrated players.
‘The top 6 will then proceed to the next and final phase of the National Chess Championship and join the rated players in a FIDE rated event that will be held in April 2013′, he says.
They will use two hours per game, meaning that each player will have a maximum of one hour to complete their game. . A total of seven rounds will be played based on the Swiss format with two games played on Friday 8th, three on Saturday 9th and two on Sunday 10th March 2013. Registration for participation in the National Chess Championship will be shillings ten thousand (10,000/=) per player. Games start by 9 am.
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Labels: stephen kisuze, uganda chess
Uganda Chess 2013 Calendar Announced
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
What does Uganda chess remind you of? Phiona Mutesi, of course. But, the country's truly awakening to the world of chess. Players in the country will have to play 11 rounds of competitions in various tournaments this year as the local governing body Uganda Chess Federation unveiled its calendar for 2013 on Thursday.
The first activity on the calendar is a national chess clinic that will be from January 26-27 at Hotel Africana. "It's the first clinic of its kind and we want children who never played the game to be introduced to it," Vianney Luggya, the UCF president said in a press statement. "It's expected to be a massive chess festival that will be helpful for beginners,amateurs and players as the event will be spiced with powerful interactive and useful power point presentations on the game,its benefits and how to improve."
One of the key tournament's is the Uganda National Chess Team taking on Nairobi Chess Club in a return leg slated for March 8-10 at Hotel Africana. The biggest event for them will be the National Chess Championship that will be held in April.
There calendar will conclude in December with the much anticipated Rwabushenyi Regional Chess Invitational which was not held last year.
Last year was a good year for the UCF seeing them anoint three FIDE Masters that is Eng Andrew Naimanye, Stephen Kisuze, the vice-president of the federation and Harold Wanyama bringing the number of FIDE masters to six in total. They also attained Candidate Masters in Ivy Amoko and National Junior Chess Champion Phiona Mutesi.
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Labels: uganda chess
Ugandan Chess Star Phiona Mutesi - ESPN Video
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