The first round of games determining five players who will make the open section of the national team for the 2016 Chess Olympiad start today, Friday, afternoon at Classic Hotel, in Kigali.

In the course of two consecutive weekends, nine rounds will be played, with 10 players challenging for a place on the standard open section of the national team to play in the Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan from September 1 to 14.

The Chess Olympiad – arguably the World Cup of chess - is a biennial chess tournament where teams from all over the world compete.

Alain Patience Niyibizi, the 2015 national champion, Eugene Mugema Kagabo, winner of the 2016 Rwanda Open, Rwanda’s only titled players – three Candidate Masters (CMs) – Alexis Ruzigura, Maxance Murara and Godfrey Kabera, among others, will contest.

Others are Ben Tom Zimurinda, Joseph Nzabanita, Fidele Mutabazi, Valentin Rukimbira, and Jean-Baptiste Hakizimana.

Two years ago, Niyibizi, Kagabo, Ruzigura, Murara and Kabera qualified for the 41st World Chess Olympiad 2014 in Tromsø, Norway. Kagabo would, later, be replaced by Rugema Ngarambe on the final team because of a last minute passport hitch.

Qualifiers for the ladies section – seven rounds will be played – kick off on May 29 with other games on June 10 up to 12.