Gong Thon Gong from South Sudan was crowned the champion of the Kantiti Memorial Open Chess Championship after drawing with FM Patrick Kawuma in the final round.
After winning all his first seven games, Gong went into the final round leading with seven points.
He needed to avoid defeat to become the first non Ugandan to win a competition in Uganda since 2013 when Kenyan Brian Kidula lifted the Kawuma Open.
That’s exactly what the rated 2183 did as he drew with Kawuma, a pre-tournament favourite.
Gong finished with 7.5 points from the possible eight. He won seven games, and only drew the last round.
Kawuma and his fellow top rated Ugandans and pre-tournament favourites FM Harold Wanyama, IM Elijah Emojong, FM Haruna Nsubuga finished outside the top three.
The aforementioned came fifth, fourth, 20th and 28th respectively.
In the Women’s section, 17-year-old Patricia Kawuma won the championship.
Kawuma who recently made her national team debut during the World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India got 5.5 points.
She beat the No. 1 seed in East Africa Peninah Nakabo to the championship.
Nakabo settled for the second position with 5 points while exciting youngsters WCM Maria Nakanyike and WFM Gloria Nansubuga came 4th and 5th respectively.
Abdulkadir Mohammed Warsame was the champion in the U190 category. The Somalian finished with 6.5 points and overall, came 6th.
Ivan Mugisha Jalagatha and Abdul Shakur Wagodo came 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Courtesy Photos
