Asaba clinches top prize at International Women's Day Chess tournament

At least 220 female chess players gathered at Gloria Gardens in Namugongo on Sunday for a one-day tournament celebrating International Women's Day.

Participants competed in categories ranging from Under-8 to Under-20, alongside university students and parents, with pairings conducted through a random draw system.

The tournament adopted a rapid format with a maximum of 15 minutes per game.

The event featured girls from 19 primary and secondary schools alongside elite players. Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Juliet Asaba of KTCLA Chess Academy in Kamwokya, a pupil at Sister Durgan Primary School, emerged as the overall winner with seven points after eight rounds.

Asaba, the 2025 national open women's champion, claimed the gold trophy, a medal, and a cash prize of shs1.6m from the shs10m prize kitty. She edged out continental junior champion Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Sana Omprakash, who finished second with 6.5 points.

"It was a tough tournament but I stayed focused. I thank my coaches at KTCLA, my teammates and the organizers for the lucrative awards," Asaba noted.

WFM Sana Omprakash earned silver and shs1.3 million, while WCM Shakira Ampaire finished third with six points, matching her 2025 position and taking home shs1m.

WCM Patricia Kawuma, Mackline Natukunda, Patience Atella, Joan Ahereza, Gloria Nansubuga, and Joyce Kabengano also finished with six points and received cash prizes.

The top three players in each classification from Under-8 to Under-16 received shopping vouchers worth shs170,000, shs130,000, and shs100,000 respectively, while the Under-18 to Under-20 category received cash prizes of shs200,000, shs150,000, and shs100,000.

Uganda Women Chess Association (UWCA) president Sheba Nasanga praised the participants, particularly schools such as Wanyange Girls and St. Cyprian High, and called for greater female participation in future events.

"It was all about making women feel proud of the sport and we worked hard to ensure they enjoyed the tournament. I call upon more women and girls to take up chess and thank the parents for encouraging their children," Nasanga said.

The tournament was overseen by International Arbiter (IA) Vunaya Choubary from Tanzania. Uganda Chess Federation vice president Allan Mande joined Nasanga in presenting the awards.

This marked the fifth edition of the tournament, which remains part of the national chess calendar.

Women’s Day Chess Results

Overall Winners

WCM Juliet Asaba – 7 pts

WFM Sana Omprakash – 6.5 pts

WCM Shakira Ampaire – 6.0 pts

Primary Schools

Peak P.S – Gold and Silver

Shree Sahajanand – Gold

Gayaza Junior – Bronze

Secondary Schools

Gomba S.S – 1 Gold

Wampewo Ntakke – 2 Silver

Gayaza High – 1 Silver