Mukumbya now a Candidate Master
Dec 12, 2014
Benjamin Mukumbya steamrolled Swaziland’s Dlamini Sbonela in the final round of the Africa U-20 Junior Chess Championship to earn himself a Candidate Master (CM) title.
By Samuel Sanya
Benjamin Mukumbya steamrolled Swaziland’s Dlamini Sbonela in the final round of the Africa U-20 Junior Chess Championship to earn himself a Candidate Master (CM) title.
The City Tyres national junior champion, making his second international outing, endured his hardest test to achieve success in Angola.
Mukumbya collected 4.5 points out of 9 to become Uganda’s youngest titled chess player as he turns 19 years.
This makes him the fourth player to get a title this year after FM Arthur Segwanyi, WFM Ivy Amoko and FM Haruna Nsubuga.
Mukumbya, whose trip was sponsored by the Sports Outreach Ministry, a chess enthusiast Judith Rwabushenyi and the Uganda Chess Federation lost in the first round to higher rated Algerian FIDE master Ouaret.
But he whipped Angola’s CM Silvio Famoroso in an intense battle on his way to the cherished CM title.
Reacting to Mukumbya’s exploits in Angola, UCF president Vianney Luggya said: “That is a major achievement for the young man. Uganda’s international ranking goes up when individual players attain titles.”
Mukumbya was accompanied by Stella Babirye, the girl’s national junior chess champion and Robert Katende, their coach who doubles as a UCF director and FIDE arbiter.
Babirye, competing in her first international meet, drew with Angola’s Joao Delfina and beat Swazi’s Dlamini Temahlubi Queen, Sao Tome’s Gomes Marcia and Malawi’s Ulewe Mbewe to register 3.5 points.
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