Following the conclusion of chess at the African Games in Ghana, the African Individual Chess Championship is set to take center stage.
This prestigious event, considered the continent’s biggest chess competition, starts on Wednesday, March 13th, at the Accra International Conference Centre in Ghana. Africa’s finest chess minds will battle for supremacy on the 64-squared battlefield.
Egyptian Grandmaster Leads the Charge
Egyptian Grandmaster Amin Bassem, the continent’s highest-ranked player, will be the event headliner.
Uganda will be represented by Fide Master Harold Wanyama and Peninah Nakabo, the same pair that competed at the African Games.
National chess federations, including the Uganda Chess Federation, can enlist up to five players per category, but at the time of writing, only Wanyama and Nakabo have been confirmed from Uganda.
The African Individual Chess Championship is known for attracting paragons, and this edition is no different. With the winner of the Open section earning the coveted Grandmaster title and the Women’s section champion becoming a Woman Grandmaster, the stakes are incredibly high.
A Look at the Competition
Algerian Grandmaster Bilel Bellahcene, his compatriot International Master Adlane Arab, South Africa’s IM Daniel Cawdery, Angola’s IM David Silva, Cape Verde’s IM Mariano Ortega, and Zambia’s IM Chitumbo Mwali are some of the other prominent names set to grace this edition..
Uganda’s Past Performances and Looking Ahead
Uganda’s most successful showing at this event came in the 2016 edition held in Kampala. International Master Arthur Ssegwanyi and Fide Master Patrick Kawuma both garnered 5.5 points, finishing a commendable 7th and 8th place, respectively.
Wanyama secured an 18th-place finish in 2016, while his best performance came in Namibia (2014) where he collected 5 points to claim 9th place.
Nakabo’s sole appearance at the Individual Championship was in Malawi (2021), where she finished 16th with 5 points.
In the Women’s section, Nakabo will face off against strong competitors, including Woman Grandmaster Shahenda Wafa (Egypt), whom she defeated in the African Games Women’s Rapid section, Woman International Master Lina Nassr (Algeria), and Nigeria’s Bridget Michael.
Both Nakabo and Wanyama will be aiming to surpass their previous performances when the games begin on Wednesday. The chess world awaits to see who will emerge victorious and claim the coveted Grandmaster titles.
Courtesy Photos
