Ugandan Arthur Ssegwanyi emerged winner of the Zone 4.2 Chess Championships that concluded in Kampala over the weekend, after garnering 7.5 points in the nine-round open category.

In second position was Egypt’s International Master (IM), Hesham Abdelrahman, who had 6.5 points, followed by two other Ugandans, Patrick Kawuma and Raphael Buti, who had 6.5 and 6.0 points, respectively.

 Ssegwanyi now becomes an IM, the second such title in the region. The other player with the same title is another Ugandan Elijah Emojong, who was sixth with 5.5 points.

 Rwandans humbled

Rwanda’s representatives, Valentin Rukimbira and Odile Kalisa, who took the place of newly crowned 2014 national champion, Marie Faustine Shimwa, had a bad outing.

In the men’s category, Rukimbira won two matches, beating Tanzanians Godlove Kimaro and Max Munisi.

 In the ladies category, also dominated by Egypt and Uganda, Kalisa only managed a win (one point) against Burundi’s Estella-Triella Nduwayezu.

Egypt’s Tasneem Ehab (8 points) and Uganda’s Grace Kigeni (7points) were the stars followed by Egypt’s Eman Elansary (6.5 points) and Ugandans, Ivy Claire Amoko (6.5 points) and Goretti Amgolikin 5.5.

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