This year’s National Chess Championship, a four-day avent, is set to be played at Onomo Hotel, in Kigali, starting on Boxing Day.

Kevin Ganza, president of the Rwanda Chess Federation (Ferwade), confirmed to Times Sport on Tuesday.

In the eight-round competition, Joseph Nzabanita and Sandrine Uwase, the 2018 national male and female champions, respectively, will be hoping to retain their titles.

Last year, Nzabanita, a senior maths and statistics lecturer at the University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology, dethroned Dr Ben Karenzi, while Uwase, 17, defied the odds to win all her seven matches and retain her title.

Should Nzabanita win again, it will be his second championship.

The teenager, however, looks to retain the title for a record third consecutive time.

But, it will be an uphill task to accomplish, as her main opponents; Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Joselyne Uwase, 16, and Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Christelle Uwamahoro, 15, have stepped up their game over the past year.

The WFM beat the national champion in this year’s national youth tournament.