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The Chess Federation of Zambia (CFZ) has announced that two Lusaka-based players will represent the country in this month's African Junior Championship. Daniel Jere and Chitumbi Mwali will travel to Tripoli, Libya to compete against the continent's finest Juniors (under 21 years of age) which take place from December 29 to January 7.
Both players qualified after scoring 3½ points in a four-man round-robin which included Nathan Lungu and Rodrick Chongo. The preliminary trials took place at the David Kaunda Secondary School.
"The trials were very competitive, especially for the two selected players who were not the favourites before the competition started," said Federation President Lewis Ncube.
According to a report from The Times of Zambia, the games were played on a round-robin format and the 16 players were divided in two groups of eight players from which Jere and Chitumbo qualified to the next round as group leaders. Nathan Lungu and Rodrick Chongo who were runners-up in the two groups joined Jere and Chitumbo in the round.
The Post quoted Ncube as saying, "I am very confident that the two players will do well because even the process we used to pick them was very rigorous. In fact, both players have previously represented the country twice and with this experience, I am very sure that one should emerge as champion."
Zambia has won the African Junior on three occasions… the last being in 2000 with IM Amon Simutowe.
Sources
Kennedy Gondwe, "Chess Federation of Zambia Pick 2 for African Junior Chess," The Post, 11 December 2003 (Lusaka, Zambia).
"Chess Body Names Africa Tourney Envoys," The Times of Zambia, 11 December 2003 (Ndola, Zambia).
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