Chess league returns

After a three-month break, rounds five and six of the ongoing inter-club ties of the national chess league championship will be played on Sunday at Classic Hotel in Kicukiro, Kigali. Five clubs, including Knight Chess Club (KCC), NUR Chess Club, Vision Chess Club (VCC) and KIST Chess Club, are competing for honors, but first, they are plotting to overwhelm Eagles Chess Club (ECC), the only club fielding two teams in the competition that started last September. The Club’s first team (Eagles B) continues to lead the table after the previous two rounds last October.Valentin Rukimbira, one of Knight Chess Club’s stars, is certain they will give the Eagles a challenge to reckon with. “We have prepared well and we are ready to beat any team. It is not like at the beginning when we started knowing that Eagles were better. We are confident and now believe in ourselves. Our players are in good form,” he said. “As a team we are looking to beat is Eagles. We have two new players who are ready to perform. I think on Sunday we have to win the two games.” The ECC vice president, Eric Maina, told Times Sport they will field four young players on their two teams. The club, he said, have promoted Sandrine Uwase, 13, Joselyne Uwase, 12, Happiness Mutete, 9, and Ronjin Munyurangabo, 15, to their first team after the youngsters impressed during last year’s national youth and women championships. On Sunday, six matches will be played including Knight against NUR and then against Eagles B. Eagles B also have another match versus VCC, while KIST will play Eagles A and VCC. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Sports

Chess league returns