CM Alfred Chimthere is the 2020 Malawi National Chess Champion
CM Alfred Chimthere cruised to a comfortable victory in the 2020 Malawi National Chess Championship. He beat a field of thirty-two hopefuls to claim his first national title. CM Alfred Chimthere obtained 7.5 points out of 9 rounds. His only loss was in round six against Joseph Nyambalo.
Chimthere went home with MWK 200,000 (USD 250) out of a prize fund of MWK 575,000 (USD 750). CM Alfred Chimethere, it is interesting to note is also the Publicity Secretary for the Chess Association of Malawi.
CM Chiletso Chipanga was second with 6.5 points while FM George Mwale was third with 6 points. Ronald Chimkute and Joseph Nyambalo also ended up with 6 points.
Priyasha Shriyan, on the other hand, won the Ladies Section with 7.5 points out of 9 rounds. She went home with MWK 150,000 (USD 200). The Ladies section had a total of 14 contestants competing for a prize fund of MWK 375,000 (USD 500). Priyasha Shriyan, who is 14 years old is a student of Bishop Mackenzie International School (BMIS).
Shalom Kapende was second with 6.5 points while Ellen Mpinganjira and Tupokiwe Msukwa were in joint third place with 5.5 points.
FM Joseph Mwale who was the 2019 Malawian National Champion did not play in this edition. He was also the winner of the 2018 Mdina Malawi Open Chess Championship.
Ackim Mwale who is the father to Malawi’s highest rated player FM Joseph Mwale won the Veteran Section.
Sponsors
Crossroads Hotel and Mybucks Bank sponsored the event in conjunction with Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS).
Covid 19 Pandemic
The Covid 19 Pandemic has caused a number of African federations including Kenya to cancel their respectively National Championships. The 2020 Togo National Chess Championship was a rare exception and was held in November 2020.
Chess facts about Malawi
The Chess Association of Malawi (CHESSAM) was established in 1985.
Ms Susan Namangale is the President of the federation.
Malawi has participated in seven consecutive Chess Olympiads from 2006 to 2018. The ladies team have played in four Chess Olympiads (2010, 2014, 2016 & 2018).
FM Joseph Mwale is the highest-rated player at 2148.
Malawi has about 160 players registered with FIDE.
Interesting facts about Malawi
The British established Nyasaland as a Protectorate in 1889. In 1964 the name changed to Malawi at independence.
Lilongwe is the capital city of Malawi.
Scottish settlers in 1876 founded Blantyre which is the second-largest city in Malawi. It was named it in honour of Blantyre in Scotland, which was the explorer David Livingstone’s birthplace.
Malawi has a population of 18 million.
Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa. The nickname of the lake is ‘Calendar Lake‘ because, it is 365 miles long and at its widest point, 52 miles wide.
English and Chichewa are the official languages of Malawi.
The Chewa and Yao are two of the biggest ethnic tribes in Malawi.
Malawian Kwacha (MWK) is the official currency. The exchange rate is MWK 775 to USD.
Malawi is one of 73 countries to have never won a medal at the Olympic Games.
Malawi’s flag is horizontally striped black-red-green. Black represents the people, red represents the blood shed for freedom while green the land. The rising sun symbolises a new dawn.
Malawi is home to one of the richest concentration of rock art in Africa. The UNESCO-listed Chongoni Area features rock art sites from the late Stone Age. It is estimated that the paintings are about 40,000 years.
