Players who will represent Rwanda in the forthcoming annual Zone 4.2 Chess Championships, to be held in Kampala from April 17 to 26, have started preparations.

According to the Rwanda Chess Federation president Innocent Kangwagye, the team has two male players and one female.

The two males include; Alexis Ruzigura who last week emerged this year’s national chess champion and Valentin Rukimbira, a new rising star.  The lone female player is newly crowned national champion, Marie Faustine Shimwa.

Zone 4.2 comprises Rwanda, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, the Seychelles, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Kangwagye admits that the players will have to up their game as Egypt has already confirmed it is sending a strong team including Grandmaster El Gindy Essam and International Master Hesham Abdelrahman.

The Zone 4.2 tournament will coincide with the World Team Chess Championships scheduled for Armenia and China from April 18 to 29.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw