International Master Arthur Ssegwanyi threw away an advantage to head into the fifth of the Kireka Open Chess Championship as the table leader after drawing against Kenyan veteran Peter Gilruth in the third round.
The IM who has won this Championship four times, and who is looking to win a record-extending fifth won his first two games to put him in control of proceedings at Nob View Hotel, Ntinda, the venue for this edition, but he blundered against Gilruth, and with that, the results see him placed 7th heading into the fifth round on Saturday.
Simon Gonza currently leads the table standings alongside Norman Magino. The two remain the only players with maximum points – four.
Meanwhile, like Ssegwanyi, FM Haruna Nsubuga and IM Elijah Emojong are also both on 3.5 points. Emojong however, is placed third due to a tie-break.
The games resume on Saturday with the fifth and sixth rounds. Gonza has been pitted against Magino on board one while Ssegwanyi will face South Sudanese Anyuat Mabior on board two.
Board three will feature Nsubuga against Bonny Namangala while four will entertain Emojong against Samuel Gai Ngong.
With two rounds awaiting on Saturday, the defending champion will be seeking to regain ground as he looks to retain the trophy. But should he fail to do so, a new champion will emerge as only him of the previous champions honoured this edition.
Solomon Lubega, winner of the third edition sat this one out while FM Harold Wanyama, winner of the second edition is in Uzbekistan for the World Rapid and Blitz Championships.
In the Ladies section, Olympian and defending champion Penninah Nakabo lost the third round to fellow Olympian Milly Takali, but Takali also lost to another Olympian, teenager Patricia Kawuma.
The teenager remains the only player yet to lose a game. She currently leads the standings with 3.5 points, but her strength will be tested on Friday when she meets Sana Omprakash Kayyar in the fifth round. Omprakash is on 3 points heading into the encounter.
Nakabo meanwhile will meet Macline Nakatude while Takali will face WFM Gloria Nansubuga, another Olympian.
