The 2024 Uganda National Chess Championship
The 2024 Uganda National Chess Championship ended last week, with IM Arthur Ssegwanyi winning the Open Section and WCM Shakira Ampaire winning the Ladies Section. The event doubled to the National Championship and the Olympiad selection, with the top five players making the team.
IM Arthur Ssegwanyi not only won a trophy and a place on the national team but also got a title deed for a piece of land! He scored 11 points; his only loss was to arch-rival FM Haruna Nsubuga.
The Open Section was a thrilling spectacle that brought together the best players in the country. The competition was intense, with IM Arthur Ssegwanyi, IM Elijah Emojong, FM Haruna Nsubuga, FM Harold Wanyama, and FM Patrick Kawuma, all top seeds, battling it out for the championship.
Ladies Section
WCM Sharkira Ampaire scored 10.5 points to clinch the Ladies titles. Hot on heels with the same points was talented youngster Sana Omprakash Kayyar who ended up second due to her lower tie-break
The Ladies Section saw Ivy Amoko coming out of semi-retirement to seek her spot on the Olympiad team.
Grand Prix System
The Ugandan Chess Federation uses the Grand Prix system to select the top twelve players, plus the top junior and a wild card, to make the Super 14. The Grand Prix events give the players great flexibility, as only the results from the top three are considered to prepare for the final GP standing.
The Grand Prix circuit events included Kantinti Open, Uganda Open, Rwabushenyi Open, Kireka Open and the Zabasajja Open.
The event, from the 11th of February to the 2nd of March, featured a unique fourteen-person round-robin format, known as ‘Super 14, for each section. The Nob View Hotel in Ntinda, Kampala, was the venue for this exciting chess extravaganza.
Game Corner
Links
2024 Uganda National Chess Championship on chess-results.com.
Super 14 live games on www.lichess.org.
2024 Zabasajja Memorial – FM Haruna Nsubuga grabs gold.
James Panchol Wins 2020 Zabasajja Memorial.
Standings & Results of the 2020 Zabasajja Memorial.
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Article by Kenya Chess Masala.
