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In conjunction with the 8th All-Africa Games, the African Team and Individual Chess Championships (Men and Women) will be held in the federal capitol, Abuja, Nigeria starting October 4th and ending October 18th. The tournament will serve as the qualifier for the World Championship cycle and attract Africa's best and brightest. The other sporting competitions will serve as qualifiers for the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece.
Despite budget cuts by many different national teams (including chess), the games hope to provide a showcase of the finest African talent from 53 participating nations. The 1st All-Africa Games was held in Brazzaville, Congo in 1965; the following contests were held in Lagos, Nigeria (1973), Algiers, Algeria (1978), Nairobi, Kenya (1987), Cairo, Egypt (1991), Harare, Zimbabwe (1995), Johannesburg, South Africa (1999) and now Abuja.
In a five-minute press video (on the official website), the announcer states,
"The challenges faced by Africa today and the effects these may have on future generations have perhaps never been more intense… and these games will be a window through which not only the world will view Africa, but through which Africa will view itself."
African Championships (FIDE website) Team and Individual
8th All-Africa Games (The Chess Drum)
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