17 May 2013

Botswana Chess Federation has sent three players to represent the country at the Africa Individual Chess Championships in Tunisia from May 17-28.

They are top male player, Ignatius Njobvu, who is an International Master (IM), and two female players, Boikhutso Modongo, who is a Woman International Master, (WIM) and Tshepiso Lopang, another WIM.

They left yesterday for the championships which also serve as World Cup qualifiers. The tournament will be staged at the city of Hammamet. Both players were triumphant at the recent Metropolitan National Champions with Njobvu winning the men’s section while Modongo was the women’s champion.

BCF acting secretary-general, Keenese Katisenge said Lopang automatically qualified for the tournament after being awarded the WIM title at the just ended FIDE Zone 4.3 Individual Chess Championships that Botswana recently hosted in Tlokweng.

The tournament is held every two years and is open to all chess players from African countries that have been awarded the titles of WIM, Woman Grand Master (WGM), Grand Master (GM) and International Master (IM).

The previous competition in 2011 was held in Mozambique, but Botswana did not send representatives. Outgoing BCF president, Tshepo Sitale will join the team on May 23 for the African Chess Union Congress in the same city. ENDS