Musasizi targets stronger training post Kireka Chess Open
Musasizi admitted the stiff competition was a wake‑up call for Ugandan players to return to the board with renewed focus and determination.
Some of the junior winners of the 2025 Kireka Chess Open proudly display their trophies alongside UCF and Kireka Chess Club officials.
Ugandan chess player CM Emmanuel Musasizi has pledged to intensify training after South Sudanese competitors dominated the 9th edition of the Kireka Chess Open, which also marked the close of the 2025 Uganda Chess Federation (UCF) calendar.
Musasizi admitted the stiff competition was a wake‑up call for Ugandan players to return to the board with renewed focus and determination.
“It was a tough tournament, but it gave us quality competition. Now we need to train harder,” he said.
Unranked Samuel Ngongo Gai of South Sudan emerged champion after going unbeaten in all eight rounds of the Swiss‑format tournament, finishing with 8 points.
His compatriot Gong Thon Gong secured second place on 7 points, edging Musasizi on tie‑breaks at the end of the four‑day championship held at Sports View Hotel, Kireka.
Tournament host Ivan Kaddu, proprietor of Kireka Chess Club, promised bigger prize packages in the 2026 edition to attract more players, including international grandmasters.
“Our tournament is the biggest in the region, and we hope to market it even better this year. We intend to increase the cash prizes to attract not only numbers but also quality players,” Kaddu said.
The event drew 293 competitors: 156 in the Open category, 40 in Ladies, and 97 in Juniors, with participants from Kenya, Zambia, South Sudan, South Africa, and Uganda.
In the Open category, Ngongo Gai claimed the top prize of sh1.6m, Gong Thon Gong took home sh1m, while Musasizi earned sh850,000. In the Ladies category, African Junior Champion WFM Sana Omprakash clinched the title with 6.5 points, edging defending champion WCM Patricia Kawuma and WFM Peninah Nakabo, who finished second and third respectively. Their cash rewards stood at sh1.1m, sh850,000, and sh500,000.
Chief arbiter Innocent Kimera praised the high quality of play, noting that players rated below 2000 competed in a separate category. Apollo Ahumuza won on tie‑breaks after tying on 6 points with Yusuf Daahir and Ivan Ntume, with each receiving sh200,000 and medals.
The tournament also recognized achievements in special categories. In the differently abled section, Sharif Mbaziira of SOM Academy won sh100,000, while Mark Nyola of Victoria University received an additional sh100,000 award for producing the most brilliant game of the tournament after defeating FM Harold Wanyama in round seven.
Several junior players also shone, with gold medal winners in the girls’ categories including Rumbidzai Birungi, Garikapati Srivall, Irene Katusabe, Ruth Muganzi, Susan Namukobe, and Melisa Edinansi. In the junior open section, Aaron Kagoda, Augustine Turyatemba, Trevor Tumukunde, George Ssempijja, Mathew Ampiire, and Osborn Tulinaye all claimed top honours.
The Kireka Chess Open once again affirmed its status as the region’s premier chess event, setting the stage for an even bigger edition in 2026.