Bibasa

By William Muwonge Victory in the final round earned Bob Bibasa his second New Vision International chess championship at Nakawa last evening. The 24-year old Olympian outwitted his younger opponent Ignatius Wanderema in the eighth and decisive round to win with 7.5 points. "I am happy to win, it was a hard tournament" Bibasa said. Bibasa, also the 1998 champion, completed the premier category unbeaten and walked away with sh480,000. The seasoned player was half a point better than another star Grace Nsubuga, the 1999 champion. Nsubuga, the champion's strongest challenger, won his last game to go top of the standings with 7 points meaning that Bibasa, at 6.5, had to win his final round to snatch the prize. Bibasa, who had led from the start, wrapped up his campaign with a hard-earned win over Wanderema watched by a sizeable crowd. National junior champion Steven Kawuma was third overall with 5.5 points. The British High Commissioner Tom Phillips presided over the awards ceremony. New Vision Managing Director and Editor in Chief William Pike and UCF patron Jotham Tumwesigye were also present. The sh4.4m competition, with a record 178 players, was sponsored for the seventh time by Uganda's leading daily. Six players from Kenya, a Tanzanian Yohannes Mulugeta and a Dane Neils Lauritsen also competed in the event. Vianey Luggya won the open category with seven points. Juliet Nakandi took the ladies title with 6.5 points, Fatuma Ndagire triumphed in the girls' under 16 category with eight points while Davis Agaba, Bibasa's brother, won the boys' under 14 title with 13 points. Ends