31 May 2013

Three chess players, who participated at the Africa Individual Chess Championships in Tunisia, returned home on May 30 after performing well at the tournament.

Top ranked women players, Women International Masters Boikhutso Mudongo and Tshepiso Lopang finished among the top 10 best women players at the tournament. The sole male representative, FIDE Master Ignatious Njobvu attained position 16 in the open section after accumulating four points from nine games played. He won two and drew four matches.

The open section had 28 highly rated and titled players, including four Grand Masters, six International Masters, 10 Fide Masters, and two Candidate Masters. Botswana Chess Federation public relations officer, Keenese Katisenge said Njobvu’s notable achievements at the tournament was beating one of the highest titled players in Africa and in the world in round 5, Grand Master Belkhodja Slim of Tunisia. Njobvu also drew against International Master Haddouch Mohamed of Algeria.

Katisenge said Njobvu defeating a Grand Master indicated that the country’s titled players’ strength matches up with that of the highest titled players in the world. She said this indicated that Botswana was moving up the ladder against countries with chess academies, foreign-based players and personal coaches.

Mudongo attained seventh position whilst Lopang attained position nine in the ladies section, both with five points out of the nine games played.  A total of 16 players were fielded in the ladies section from Botswana, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and South Africa. ENDS