30 Aug 2016

A well balanced national chess team flew out today (on Wednesday) to compete at the Olympiad confident of producing a stellar performance on the biggest chess stage in the planet.

The 42nd Chess Olympiad, which will be held at the Baku Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan from September 2-13, is expected to attract participation from over 170 FIDE member associations.

The Botswana team comprises a nice blend of youthful and experienced players made of five male and five female players.

The male players are Moakofhi Notha, Ndawana Mosenya, Thuso Mosutlha, Otsile Mapini, and Keletshabile Monnaatsheko. Mosenya and Notha are the most experienced figures among the male players having played at the Olympiad previously. Notha, who holds a candidate master title, boasts of a wealth of experience having played high level chess for well over a decade.

He was part of the team that represented the country at the 2006 Olympiad. He can count winning a silver medal at the 2011 All Africa Games among his achievements in chess.

Mosutlha and Mapini are the young blood in the team, but the two youngsters have shown temperament to do well on the big stage. Mosutlha in particular has enjoyed a meticulous rise over the last 12 months. He won the gold medal at the Africa Amateur Chess Championships as well as the Blitz Rated Tournament last year.

The female players are Boikhutso Modongo, Onkemetse Francis, Thapelo Francis, Mabedi Mbo, and Khumo Mooketsi. Modongo, a woman international master, is the only person in the team to have won an Olympiad medal.

She won a bronze medal at the 2002 Olympiad hosted by Slovenia, becoming the first African woman to win a medal at the Olympiad. She started competing at the Olympiad in 1998 and the 36-year-old five times national champion is still going strong.

Onkemetse Francis, also a woman international master, is the second most experienced female player having competed at previous two Olympiad tournaments. Though still young, she has developed into a top player and is the reigning national champion.

Her younger sister, Thapelo is the third member of the ladies team who has played at the Olympiad before. It will be the first time the other two players, Mbo and Mooketsi will be playing at the Olympiad.

President of the Botswana Chess Federation (BCF), Tshenolo Maruatona said ‘the team contains essentially the best players in the country.” “This team was selected after a rigorous qualification process. A tournament was played and these players emerged victorious. Basically this is the best team we have selected and we have to give them the support they deserve,” Maruatona explained at the team’s send-off ceremony held at Oasis Motel in Tlokweng on Monday.

The team held a series of training camps prior to their departure, including sessions with Grandmaster Marian Petrov from Bulgaria. The Grandmaster was invited to visit Botswana by Young Kids Chess Academy.

Mosenya, one of the senior figures in the team, said it was a wonderful feeling to go and represent the country at such a magnificent competition. He said the team would give their all.

“We are going to carry this assignment with dignity and honour. We are grateful of the support and assistance we have received in our preparations with limited resources from the federation,” said Mosenya, who has played at two Olympiad competitions previously.

The tournament will be played in 11 rounds in the open and ladies sections and will use the Swiss System Format. China is the open category defending champions while Russia is the ladies defending champions. Ends