2024 South Sudan National Chess Championship
The 2024 South Sudan National Chess Championship, a significant event in the chess community, took place from 11th to 20th May. David Yol Machar emerged as the National Champion, securing nine remarkable points out of eleven rounds.
Gong Thon Gong, a seasoned player with a strong track record, secured the second position, while James Angelo Mach took the third spot. Both players scored an impressive nine points each.
Maring Piol Aleu and Juach Deng Marol snatched fourth and fifth place with 8.5 points to secure their slots in the Olympiad team.
The event, held in the heart of Juba by Juba Bros, saw fierce competition among 136 contestants over eleven challenging rounds. The championship title and the coveted slots for the Olympiad team were up for grabs for the top five players.
The event’s opening ceremony was grand, with several dignitaries present, highlighting the government’s unwavering support for chess. The Minister for Youth and Sports, Dr Joseph Geng Akech, and the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan were among the esteemed guests, demonstrating the importance of chess in South Sudan’s cultural and sporting landscape.
The national championship was the 5th edition and was dedicated in memory of the heroes and heroines who have contributed to developing and promoting Chess in South Sudan.
Game Corner
List of past South Sudan National Chess Champions
1st & 2nd edition – CM Deng Cypriano Rehan
3rd edition – FM Michael Khor (2018)
4th edition – Manyok Chaderek Panchol (2021)
Chess facts about South Sudan
The South Sudan Chess Federation was established in 2014 and joined FIDE in 2016.
The President of the federation is Aduot Madit Rigkher.
The federation has 569 registered players with FIDE.
Gong Thon Gong is the highest-rated player at 2190.
It is interesting to note that James Panchol, a resident of Kenya and the winner of several tournaments, was ranked 7th on the South Sudan FIDE rating list in 1995. His younger brother Manyok Chaderek Panchol was the winner of the 4th South Sudan National Championship held in 2021.
South Sudan has participated in three Olympiads (2016, 2018 and 2022).
Interesting historical & geographical facts about South Sudan
South Sudan, the world’s youngest sovereign nation, gained its independence from Sudan in 2011, marking a significant milestone.
The official language of South Sudan is English. All indigenous languages spoken in South Sudan are national, and Dinka, Nuer, Murle, Luo, Ma’di, Otuho, and Zande are the most widely spoken.
Plans are underway to make Swahili the second official language, and it has been added to the curriculum for schools in South Sudan since they are part of the East African Community.
The largest ethnic group in South Sudan is the Dinka, which constitutes two-fifths of the population. The second-largest ethnic group is the Nuer, which comprises one-fifth of the population.
The national flag of South Sudan is very similar to the Kenyan flag.
Interesting wildlife facts about South Sudan
The Bandingilo National Park in South Sudan’s Equatorial region is famous for being home to Earth’s second-largest annual animal migration. It is the second largest after the Serengeti annual animal migration in Northern Tanzania. The park was established in 1992 and spanned over 10,000 square kilometres.
This immense annual animal migration involves various antelope species, elephants and giraffes. The national park is also home to lions, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs.
Links
2024 South Sudan National Chess Championship on chess-results.com.
South Sudan 5th National Chess Championship PGNs.
Games from 2024 South Sudan National Championship on livechesscloud.com
Manyok Chaderek Panchol wins 4th National South Sudan Championship.
Final ranking of the 4th South Sudan National Chess Championship (Qualifying Stage).
John Thon Ngony of South Sudan wins U21 Lighthouse Chess Championship.
Chess Report from South Sudan.
2nd South Sudanese Chess Tournament.
FM Michael Khor crowned South Sudanese King.
Chess Shop
Article by Kenya Chess Masala.
