A: MY CURRICULUM VITAE

NAME: Lewis Ncube

DATE OF BIRTH: February 22, 1958

NATIONALITY: ZAMBIAN

PROFESSIONAL

QUALIFICATION: B. Sc. (Hon) CHEMICAL ENGINEERING.

OCCUPATION: PETROLEUM INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

CONTACT

ADDRESS: c/o CHESS FEDERATION OF ZAMBIA

PO Box 32133, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

PHONE: 260 97 770602 mobile

260 1 262744 residence

E-mail: lmncube@zamnet.zm

CANDIDATURE: AFRICAN CONTINENTAL PRESIDENT

PRESENT

POSITION: PRESIDENT OF THE CHESS FEDERATION OF ZAMBIA

EXPERIENCE: See Profile attached

ELECTORAL

COMMITMENT: See Vision attached

B: MY PROFILE

I) THE EARLY YEARS

I was born in the Zambian Capital City of Lusaka on 22^nd February 1958. During my early childhood I developed into an all-round young sportsman and proceeded to represent my primary school at football, cricket, basketball, swimming and tennis.

II) EDUCATION AND CHESS PLAYING EXPERIENCE

It was after primary school education, that I started playing chess at the relatively late age of 14. I developed quickly and by the age of 17 I was the country’s top junior chess player.

In 1975 despite finishing as runner-up in that year’s schools championship I was nominated and short-listed for the award of Junior Sportsman of the Year. Though I did not win the award, I was proud of the honour of being the first chess player to have received this nomination.

During those schooldays, I represented Zambia at various tournaments individually and as a member of the National Schools Chess Team.

Having also won various regional and national junior championships, I was also happy to ensure that my academic progress did not suffer due to my involvement in chess.

After completing secondary school in 1976 I was awarded a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom.

Prior to my proceeding to study A-Levels at the Gloucester City College of Technology in the historical City of Gloucester, my peers strongly lectured me about ensuring that academic achievement continued to take precedence over all other activities. Thus in my initial years in the United Kingdom I limited my involvement in playing chess and concentrated on settling down to a new cultural and academic environment.

After successfully gaining entry into the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (U.M.I.S.T) to study Chemical Engineering, I felt sufficiently settled to resume playing, although on a somewhat limited scale. I regularly took part in weekend and summer tournaments on the BENEDICTINE CIRCUIT, mostly in the Manchester area. The Manchester Summer Congress was an event I enjoyed regularly participating in. This afforded me an opportunity to acquaint myself with chess administration and tournament organization on a much larger scale than before.

The required emphasis on academic achievement still meant that I did not play as much chess as I would have wanted. However the message I have always kept in mind is that a successful professional career will always afford you an opportunity to continue getting involved in the beautiful game of chess at an opportune time. Whether this involvement is in playing, administration or a combination of both still makes one an asset to the chess fraternity.

III) MANAGEMENT AND CHESS ADMINISTRATION

Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, I returned to Zambia to work as a Process Engineer in a Copper Hydrometallurgical Plant known as the Tailings Leach Plant. This was part of the processing chain of one of the largest open cast mines in the world, the Nchanga Open Pit.

Joining the local club known as Nchanga Chess Club, I combined playing on the top board with administration. I was later to become chairman of the club. The successful infusion of schoolboys in the top league team was to be the cornerstone of the eventual success of the club, which was to subsequently dominate the regional league.

After successfully completing my technical grounding as an engineer, I decided to enhance my professional development with a marketing based experience.

The joining of a multinational oil marketing company, Agip Zambia Limited (a subsidiary of the Italian petroleum conglomerate, Agip Petroli) was to have a profound influence on my managerial development both professionally and in sports administration.

IV) PROFESSIONAL MARKETING EXPERIENCE AND CHESS SPONSORSHIP

In the process on rising to head the Marketing and Technical Support portfolio in the company, I had the pleasure of working with various counterparts in senior management both in Europe and Africa. This afforded me an opportunity to enhance my management skills on a global level.

My responsibilities included managing the company’s corporate image and determining causes meriting the company’s sponsorship.

The company was able to develop a positive image by ensuring that ‘minor’ sporting disciplines such as chess were provided with developmental assistance.

V) CURRENT PROFESSIONAL STATUS

I am currently working as a Management Consultant in the position of Special Advisor to the Chief Executive of TotalFinaElf Zambia Limited.

This situation allows me more time to continue with my chess administration activities, utilizing my business contacts for the benefit of the chess fraternity. This represents the continuing process of building partnerships for the development of chess.

VI) ACHIEVEMENTS

In both my professional and chess administration careers I have endeavoured to use my management skills to work towards result oriented implementation structures.

Since taking over the reins of President of the Chess Federation of Zambia I have built a young dynamic team that has presided over the most successful period of Zambian chess.

The experience gathered during my over THIRTY-YEAR involvement in chess has been instrumental in the formulation of policies the Federation has put in place.

The Federation’s standing, both locally and internationally, has been exemplary.

The performance of the Zambian Men’s Team at the 2000 Istanbul Olympiad where our top player, IM Amon Simutowe won a Silver Medal on Board One was a particularly poignant achievement for the whole team.

As captain of the team it gave me extreme pleasure to observe the commitment of all the players involved in this most memorable of achievements.

Our successful hosting of the 2001 African Junior Chess Championships boosted the development of chess amongst youngsters in the country.

It is now a common feature to receive queries from parents and guardians about how their children can improve their playing strength.

This is the result of the partnership we have built with the schools’ sports administration throughout the country.

Chess is now enjoying a renaissance in the schools sporting activities at all levels.

At a recent schools chess event, a ten-year-old boy from one of the remote rural areas was the talk of the event when he stunned most supposedly more experienced players.

The countrywide base, which the Federation has built, will provide us with the next generation of players to follow into the footsteps of IM Amon Simutowe and others.

We have sought to play our part in the process of ensuring that African chess is a worthy contributor to the global growth of the game.

C: MY VISION

I) PREAMBLE

The development of chess on the continent of Africa has for a long time been undermined by the failure of administrators to work as a team. The administrative hurdles arising from this shortcoming have profoundly retarded any anticipated growth.

It is virtually impossible for anyone seeking to advance the cause of African chess to succeed single handedly. In this vein, conventional wisdom dictates that anyone seeking the office of African Continental President MUST build a team, which strives to offer equal opportunities to the entire continent regardless of race, creed or colour.

II) ADMINISTRATION (THE AFRICAN CHESS UNION)

The African Chess Union, which was formed for the purpose of advancing the cause of African chess within the ambit of FIDE, has never really taken off. The responsibility of developing African chess has been left to the individual African Federations.

Whilst FIDE has made strides in the globalisation of the game, the African Continental administration has provided only a token response.

The current situation engulfing chess on the African Continent requires an administrator capable of providing inspirational leadership.

I am confident that my election to the Continental Presidency will herald a new dawn for African chess.

Upon my assuming office, one of the first business items will be to seek the re-drawing of the statutes of the African Chess Union to take into account the prevailing socio-economic circumstances. All African delegates will have a say in the production of a final document that will POSITIVELY guide the administration chess on the continent.

The objective is to have a document that reflects the goals of developing African chess with modern management techniques.

One of the proposed changes will be re-structuring of the organization to have the Continental President assisted by THREE Vice Presidents. These will be chosen on a zonal basis. My proposal is that each of the Zonal Presidents occupies the position of Vice President within the African Chess Union. The positions would not be merely ceremonial but would have authority to act within their prescribed areas on behalf of the Continental President. This would provide for a more representative leadership for African Chess.

The position of General Secretary for the African Chess Union will be enhanced to ensure that internal communication between African Federations as well as with the FIDE Secretariat is kept up to date.

A committee to administer the financial aspects of the ACU, headed by one of the Continent’s administrators will be put in place. Amongst the tasks to be dealt with will be fund-raising activities and budgeting responsibilities.

Another committee of committed administrators will oversee the development of chess amongst the Continent’s youth.

Continental tournaments will be administered through another committee which will also ensure that all zones have an opportunity to host major continental events on a rotational basis.

III) TOURNAMENTS

Should I be elected Continental President, my intention is to put in place a system where the following tournaments are held annually with the indicated benefits and incentives:

a) AFRICAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP

This event will be held in a format similar to the World Youth Championships.

Consent from FIDE will be sought to enable the winners in each age group qualify BY RIGHT for the subsequent World Youth Championship.

Hosting of this event will rotate on a zonal basis

b) AFRICAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

The African Junior Championship will continue in the current format with the event also being hosted on a rotational basis amongst the African zones.

A scheme to provide overseas scholarships for deserving winners of this event will also be put in place.

c) CONTINENTAL INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Continental Individual Championship will also continue in the current format. The ACU General Assembly subject to FIDE approval will examine the built in qualification for ALL places for the FIDE World Championships. This is in accordance with the resolution of the last ACU General Assembly held in Johannesburg.

d) ZONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Each zone will be required to hold Zonal championships. Zones will be encouraged to ensure that these are rotated amongst the member Federations.

IV) INTRODUCTION OF AFRICAN CHESS CIRCUIT

Despite the problems currently facing chess in Africa, it is a credit to some administrators that we have managed to produce players capable of holding their own amongst the best in the world.

The continental administration, under my guidance will put in place a programme that seeks to ensure that those who are unable to obtain financing for overseas trips are regularly afforded opportunities for development nearer home. It is my intention to put in place a circuit under which a selected group of reputable Grandmasters and International Masters tour the African Continent annually to take part in tournaments in the form of an AFRICAN CHALLENGE. These would be conducted by having an international open tournament in each zone in a particular year’s African Challenge. This would provide opportunities for more African players to raise their standard of play and OFFICIALLY improve their ratings coupled with possibilities for attainment of GM and IM norms.

V) CURRENT PROFESSIONAL STATUS

I am currently working as a Management Consultant in the position of Special Advisor to the Chief Executive of TotalFinaElf Zambia Limited. This situation allows me more time to continue with my chess administration activities, utilizing my business contacts for the benefit of the chess fraternity. This represents the continuing process of building partnerships for the development of chess.

VI) FIDE GLOBAL EVENTS

The hosting of FIDE Tournaments such as the World Youth and World Junior Championships is not beyond some African Federations. Indeed, with the right sponsorship package and planning I can envisage at least THREE African Federations having the capacity to host a Chess Olympiad in the next four to six years.

As Continental President I intend to work towards the Continent hosting the World Youth and World Junior Championships within FOUR years and being able to lodge a credible bid to host a Chess Olympiad in either 2006 or 2008.

VII) TECHNICAL AND MATERIAL ASSISTANCE

CACDEC has come to the aid of many African Federations with technical support, supply of equipment and the provision of supplementing the cost of hosting FIDE events.

I will continue to lobby for increased assistance to the most deserving of cases.

We as administrators must however recognize the financial limitations of FIDE. In this regard I intend to source for more sustainable avenues for the continued supplementation of FIDE assistance.

VIII) SETTING UP OF WEBSITE

A website under the administration of the African Chess Union will be set up to enable African chess move with the times. This will provide an opportunity for Federations to communicate and share views on the continued progress of chess on our continent.

The website will also encourage the sharing of literature which sometimes proves costly for individual Federations.

Precautions for observance of copyright and other relevant controls will also be put in place.