The chess pre-qualifiers challenge for a place on the national team that will represent Rwanda in the Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan in September, kicks off in Kigali on Friday.

The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament that attracts teams from all over the world.

By Wednesday morning, 15 players had confirmed entry for the first phase of the qualifiers which Rwanda Chess Federation (FERWADE) vice president, Kevin Ganza, says are "the toughest the federation has ever organized.”

The best five will join five other top players, who previously qualified automatically for the final qualifier in May, from which the best five will make the national team – the open category in which men or women can compete for places.

Those already qualified for the final stage include the 2015 national champion, Alain Patience Niyibizi; Eugene Mugema Kagabo, winner of the 2016 Rwanda Open and three Candidate Masters (CMs) – Alexis Ruzigura, Maxance Murara and Godfrey Kabera. 

In May, there will be another contest where five top ladies will be selected for the women section of the national team as Rwanda looks to, again, field two teams in the Olympiad.

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