IM Mariano Ortega of Cape Verde is the winner of the 2022 Zone 4.2 Individual Chess Championship.
The National Sports Director Kodjo Etse (left) presents IM Mariano Ortega with his trophy for winning the 2022 Zone 4.2 Chess Championship.
He obtained 8.5 points out of 9 rounds in Lome, Togo, to go home with USD 1,200. IM Mariano Ortega will also receive an air ticket and free accommodation to participate in the 2022 Sharjah Challenger Chess Championship.
FM Armel De Gondo Simplice of Ivory Coast was second with 7 points. He won a cash prize of USD 900. IM Oluwafemi Balogun of Nigeria was third with 6.5 points, and he went home with a cash prize of USD 750.
IM Mariano Ortega, who lives in Cape Verde is originally from Cuba. He is also a two time winner (2020 and 2021) of the Cape Verde National Chess Championship.
CM Onokpite Kennedy v IM Mariano Ortega
The last crucial round. In from IM Balogun Oluwafemi (left) v FM De Gondo Armel and in the background CM Onokpite Kennedy (left) takes on IM Mariano Ortega.
The following game is interesting as Black’s King is chased all the way to h1 where he is checkmated!
IM Balogun Oluwafemi v FM De Gondo Armel
The playing hall of the 2022 Zone 4.2 Chess Championship.
FM De Gondo Armel v IM Mariano Ortega
Ladies Section
Ms Tritsemuwa Ofowino of Nigeria was the winner of the Ladies’ section of the event. She scored 9 points in a double-round event which had six contestants from five federations.
Ms Tritsemuwa Ofowino of Nigeria the winner of the 2022 Zone 4.2 Chess Championship (Ladies) Section.The Ladies Section of the 2022 Zone 4.2 Chess Championship.
Maud Benson of Ghana was second with 7 points, while talented youngster Abigail Karyah of Liberia was third with 5.5 points.
Toritsemuwa Ofowino v Maud Benson
Abigail Karyah Afiwa Nicole Sagbo
Event details
The event held at Hotel Saint Manick Annexe in Lome, the capital of Togo, ran from 20th to 26th March 2022 had 27 players from all seven out of the twelve federations that make up Zone 4.2. The countries taking part included Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and host Togo. Only Gambia and Mali were missing from the event.
New zone for Africa
The zonal events in 2022 are taking place within the new zonal structures approved by FIDE in 2019, in which Africa got an additional zone. Africa now has five zones.
