For the very first time, the National Chess League will be played outside Kigali as rounds seven and eight move to Huye District on Sunday—the competition will be hosted by NUR Chess Club.

Each of the five clubs battling for honors in the competition that started last September must host two rounds. Previous games were played in Kigali as all the other four competing clubs are based in Kigali.

NUR’s team captain, Jack Singuranayo, said: "The University hosting the national league is a positive development as this is an opportunity to create more awareness of the game on the campus. It’s a big step and we hope more university students will start playing chess.”

As the league nears its end, Eagles Chess Club (ECC) is still plotting to maintain its strong lead.

The Kicukiro-based ECC is the only club fielding two teams in the league and, at the end of rounds five and six in January, its two teams were in command as Eagles B was on top of the table with 12 team points followed by Eagles A (8 points).

The Remera-based Vision Chess Club (VCC) is third, with seven points. Hosts NUR Chess Club has not won any game since the league started. In inter-club ties; a team’s win earns it two points while a draw offers one point.

Eagles recently promoted youngsters Sandrine Uwase, 13, Joselyne Uwase, 12, Happiness Mutete, 9, and Ronjin Munyurangabo, 15, to their first team after the youngsters impressed in last year’s national youth and women championships.

The last two rounds, to be hosted by the Kiyovu-based Knight Chess Club (KCC), will be played in Kigali on April 3.

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