Chess: Uganda wins eight medals and comes second in the AYCC in Entebbe

Eight Ugandan chess players were in good standing for medals as the 17th edition of the Africa Youth Chess Championships ended at the Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel in Entebbe on Friday.

Jacinta Mbabazi, Ronald Wabwire, and Alvin Muhirwa won gold; Sana Oprakash Kayyar and Katrina Katushabe, silver; and Olivia Asiimwe, Juliet Asaba, and Melisa Edinansi settled for bronze, ensuring Uganda finished second overall among the 8 countries whose players won medals in the main event.

Egypt came first with 6 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze. Uganda came second with 3 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze. Kenya, which entered 700 contestants across different categories, finished third with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze. The championship attracted participants from 15 countries.

The Ugandan edition concluded with Rapid and Blitz competitions. In the Rapid Girls Section, Asaba won gold, and Omprakash won silver. Wabwire claimed bronze in the Rapid Open Section. In the Blitz Girls Section, Omprakash secured bronze, while Egyptians Alaa Eldin Raghad and Ahmed Mohamed Zakaa won gold and silver, respectively.

In the main event, Jacinta Mbabazi led Uganda in the U-8 girls’ category with gold. She won eight of nine games.

Her opponents included Ugandan Aretha Karabo Kembabazi, Kenyans Zoey Njeri Ngugi and Luana Kalya Kanda, South Africans Coetzee Niki, Gabriels Amrienta, and Mlaba Khethelo, Egyptian Kamel Romaisaa, and top seed Aaliyah Jasmine McKenzie from Kenya.

McKenzie also finished with 8 points, but Mbabazi took gold due to a better head-to-head. Mbabazi consequently qualified for the 2027 FIDE World Cup.

Ronald Wabwire won gold in the U-12 after collecting 8 points. He defeated Kenyans Jaden Baraka, Baraka Mwaura, and Shem Ngugi. He had ties against Faraja Mumo Muli and Nathaniel Manyeki. Wabwire also had wins over Ugandan Augustine Turyatemba, Namibian ACM James Dien, and Egyptian George Samir Danial.

Kenyans Manyeki and Mumo settled for the silver and bronze, having collected 7.5 points apiece.

In the U-16 open category, Alvin Muhirwa (7.5pts) won gold. He relegated Libyan Tawfik Ezzeddin Kweiri and Egyptian Arena International Master Ahmed Gamal El Deen Yaseen to silver and bronze, respectively. They both finished with 7 points.

Muhirwa did not lose throughout, winning against Kenyan Ben Mwangi, Motswana Wu Zeyin, Zambian Prosper Gondwe, and South African Dikane Oageng before drawing with Egyptians Ahmed Gamal, Farid Tamer Waguih, and Ugandan Innocent Baguma and then winning against Ugandan Shoubhhith Omprakash Kayyar. On her part, in the U-16 girls, Olivia Asiimwe amassed 7 points for the bronze, just like Egyptian Alaa Eldin Raghad, but the latter took the silver due to more tie-break points. WFM Kenyan Elizabeth Cassidy Maina took the gold with 7.5 points.

Woman International Master (WIM) Sana Omprakash Kayyar settled for silver after winning her round-9 game against compatriot Sherry Ariella Agaba. Sana finished with 7.5 points, just a half point below gold medalist WIM Egyptian Mohamed Zaki Jana. Jana beat Sana and topped the category with 8 points. Kenyan WCM Bella Nashipae drew with Sana in the third round, denying her the gold, and settled for bronze with 7 points.

Woman Candidate Master Juliet Asaba scored 7.5 points in the U-14 category, earning her bronze. Madagascan WCM Aina Mahasambatra and Egyptian WFM Ahmed Mohamed Zakaa both finished on 8 points, with Mahasambatra taking gold due to a better head-to-head. Asaba won three games against Kenyan opponents, two against Namibians, and two against Ugandans (Ruth Thelma Lukanga Muganzi and Anil Yadan Suhana). She drew with Botswana’s Toor Qudsia Abrar and lost to Zakaa.

In addition to medals, gold medalists in the under-12, under-14, and open categories received the FIDE Master or Woman FIDE Master titles. Silver and bronze medalists in these categories earned the Candidate Master or Woman Candidate Master titles. Gold medalists in the under-8, under-10, and under-12 categories also qualified for the 2027 FIDE World Cup.