Uganda tops children's chess

Aug 24, 2009

UGANDA has won the inaugural International Children’s Chess tournament that was held in Juba, Southern Sudan August 16-18.

By Phillip Corry

UGANDA has won the inaugural International Children’s Chess tournament that was held in Juba, Southern Sudan August 16-18.

Uganda’s team comprised U-14 champion Benjamin Mukumbya, U-16 champion Ivan Mutesaira and Phiona Mutesi, the girls junior champion.

The team emerged unbeaten finishing with 8.5 points to win a trophy, gold and FIDE diplomas. Kenya finished second.

All the three juniors on the Uganda team were picked from the streets of Kampala by a charity Sports Outreach Ministries, taken to school and taught how to play chess.

The event was organised by FIDE, the world chess governing body and the UN Security Council as part of the peacemaking process in Central Africa. It was sponsored by CASCO Petroleum Overseas Ltd. Company (Juba).

The objective of the tournament was to popularise chess among the children of East and Central Africa and to stabilise and humanise the peace-making process in East and Central Africa.

One of the highlights of the trip was a comment by FIDE’s International Arbiter, Russian Viacheslav Namruev, who after watching Uganda’s 11-year-old Mukumbya remarked that the boy has the potential to become an International Master (IM)

International Master is a prestigious title that precedes Grandmaster. It is awarded by FIDE to players who excel at the highest level after beating highly- rated players.

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