Chess Championship qualifiers begin today

Chess activity will intensify this month starting with the national Championship qualifiers, a three-day individual contest that kicks off today at IPRC-Kicukiro. Unrated players will tussle it out in the seven-round tournament hoping to make the top six and qualify for the national Championship scheduled for December 10-13, the last nine-round contest between rated players, where the winner will be crowned 2015 national champion. The winner of the national Championship will as well qualify for Olympiad qualifiers set for May next year. The Olympiad will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in September, 2016. Meanwhile, the Rwanda Chess Federation (FERWADE) vice president, Kevin Ganza, says November is going to be a busy month with three tournaments, including the nine-round Rapid and 11-round Blitz national events set for Nov. 21-22 and the Youth Championship which starts on November 27. Boys and girls under 16 years of age will be participating in the second ever such tournament after the first held in 2013. Four rounds of the rejuvenated inter-club ties – national league – have already been played with five clubs competing for supremacy after 10 rounds that wrap up on April 3, 2016. Ganza said: “In the last youth championship, only eight players, four boys and four girls, participated. This time, however, we expect about 30 kids if all goes according to plan.” In September, FERWADE published its 2015-2016 Chess Tournament Calendar, signaling a busy local competition season and improved planning. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Chess Championship qualifiers begin today