Record turnout as 2025 Fr. Grimes Chess Championship opens at Namilyango

The 2025 Fr. Grimes Chess Championship kicked off on Monday at Our Lady of Africa Namilyango SSS, attracting a record number of participants.

This 34th edition, dedicated to the late Fr. Damien Grimes, who founded school chess in Uganda, has drawn 1,077 participants (boys and girls) from both secondary and primary schools, forming 225 teams. This marks a significant increase from last year's 900 players across 155 teams at St. Mark SSS.

The teams, each consisting of five players and one non-playing captain, are allowed to enter multiple teams. The breakdown includes 100 teams in the secondary open category (boys and girls), 54 in the secondary girls' category, 46 in the primary open category, and 25 in the primary girls' category.

The tournament will feature eight rounds of intense competition, running through Wednesday, with all participants staying in hostels at Our Lady of Africa Namilyango SSS.

St. Mary's College Kisubi and St. Andrew Kaggwa are the defending champions in the open boys' and girls' categories, respectively.

Chief Arbiter Innocent Kimera issued a stern warning to schools attempting to field overage players in the primary categories, emphasizing that strict screening will continue throughout the event. "We have international arbiters to manage this tournament," Kimera said. "Any violators will be disqualified at any stage to maintain integrity, especially as these players advance to international competitions."

Dr. Lilian Matovu, the school proprietor who attended the opening ceremony, urged participants to maintain discipline throughout the tournament. The stage is now set for an exciting week of chess as schools compete for supremacy in Uganda's premier inter-school chess competition.

By the end of the second round on Monday, five teams—Wampewo Ntakke, Maryhill High School A, Gayaza HS A, St. Peters SS A, and Trinity College Nabbingo C—had maintained an unbeaten record.

The championship also serves as a selection event for schools that will represent Uganda at the Africa Schools Chess Championship in Kenya, scheduled for May 22-28. This competition is also a qualification event for the World Schools Chess Championship.