Zone 4.3 Individual Championships (Botswana)

Robert Gwaze is on 5/5!

Where is Gwaze heading to?
These lad seems to enjoy a perfect score like Fisher.

Thanks for posting here Patrick! I’m trying to get some photos to post. Is anyone providing coverage? Any games?

I hate to be the one who throws the wrench into the kumbaya, but this can not go unexposed!
I have been contacted by another young talented Zim player (Makoto) begging me to intervene as the Organisers were refusing him participation(Sad I could not help!). He was given a sudden barrier being to Book-into the Hotel where the event is held and pay almost 3000 USD for this cost on the spot. PLUS still pay the high cost of the FIDE registration fees to PARTICIPATE. This in the face of the Bots players staying at their respective homes. Mind Bots players tried to talk sense to the OC but failed!
Let me be clear on this in this manner! This kind of SHAKEDOWN is IMMORAL & INHUMAN plus, would be illegal in RSA! It was once used in EU countries and I believe has no place in the African continent where chess MUST be developed desperately. When one considers the fact that elections for FIDE office bearers were just held a few weeks ago with a promise of change and progress then I hear this, It makes me mad! It should also make all livid!
Take for instance the Angola Chess federation president who happens to be a Premier Govt leader. He asked to be the leader of Chess in Africa. All federation refused to supported his bid,. including South Africa & Botswana. This is the man who put together an event known as Cuca BGi, slated to occur the third installment this May in Luanda. The prize Fund is more than 20 000 USD cash handed out to PLAYERS and OFFICIALS. Expenses cover everything! Including Flights for all players from the very from Botswana & South Africa (Simutowe won the Gwaze took the sophomore)! This event is BETTER in every respect than the Africa Championships event of FIDE! Now tell me what you think about that!
Mr. Ncube and Mr. Buthale (Sorry to mention your names gentlemen!), as chess leaders in our region and Africa at large, whose interest are you serving? Dont you think it’s time to go the route of Mubarak? you should ashamed that a talented player (This player beat Gwaze in the selection event in Zim!) was refused participation for this CORRUPT practice.
I communicated my disgust with Boikhutsoane of the OC and he has the gal to dismiss this occurence as frivolity and blames the player for showing up with no money to pay Hotel fees!!!
This happened in Zambia in the junior Chess Champs when Farai Mandizha was excluded by Mr. Ncube. Can you with hindsight realize what this did to Farai? He toiled to be the best despite that setback. But it is how far he would have been if only we had our act together and not exclude a player because we shift goal posts when they try to participate in the God forsaken FIDE events against a stack of odds! Just to compare; GM. Bassem was the same strength with Mandizha (IM.elect now) at that junior level. He is NOW Super GM and Mandizha has to fight an uphill battle just to catch-up now! Aint that some Bullshit!
SORRY TO SPOIL THE PARTY GUYS! Would like to hear your VIEWS on this!

Daaim
I am not knocking Farai for not being a GM. I am also not comparing the current scenarios of the two players. Certainly, when Mandizha was a junior and Bassem was a junior, the two where neck and neck on almost every potential and some abilities, in fact they regularly shared the spoils in hard fought chess battles. Plus they share the unique intersect of winning against the fearsome GM.Nakamura! I know because I was in charge of Mandizha’s training and development and like Gwaze and Simutowe before him, he stayed in my home with my wife and family!
Bassem went on to Chess greatness, while mandizha was held back by these chess despots. They blackmailed and asked me for bribes and favours always just let him play! Every time he played an event i had to fight tooth and nail. Finally, they cooperated to deny him play in several Africa junior championships . One being in zambia where Mr. Ncube said he MUST get written permission from Zimbabwe. At the same time discussing the fate accompli with the main man in Harare behind our back!
Now, do you phantom that Mandizha would have been IM through that process long before he lifted himself on his boot-strips in the USA. This exclusion of another Zim player smacks of similar shit!
Gwaze was long showing signs of terrific chess prowess and could by now have been a Top Ten world class player. This was told to me by a top trainer (Droversky) many years ago. Because of these despots who seem to want to stay in chess power forever, we lost that chance (I hope we can still see him as GM one day at least). Here your clarion call for opportinities on his behalf is appreciated, but have you paused to think that this is ACU officials mandate? To exclude players because they must pay for Hotels even if they don’t need accommodation is insane. Has chess playing and attainment of rating and tittles become beholden to paying hotel fees? Well then you can kiss TALENT good-bye!

eita bra Jackie,
Be well.
I learnt of Makoto’s brutal treatment from your yesterdays posting. My attempts to sort OCM side of story has not burne any fruit. I’m also to read the invitation and conditions therein. It will not suprise me if there is clause demading that all players must stay a hotel owned by one of the Organising Commitee Member. This is Africa Jacky, like it is in our politics, those in power become greedy little gods. They never at ones pause to appreciate who there are represting. As long as it pleases their yearning quest to benefit from any situation and will do that without shame.

It is bcoz of this bullshit that Africa is lagging behind in chess it seems chess is now about boosting a lunatic’s deals with hotels and not talent Makoto you will certainly make it Zimbabwe is behind you

what is the final standing?

Until this tournament, I didn’t realize IM Kenny Solomon had surpassed IM Watu Kobese for the top ranking in South Africa. BTW I saw a comment on another site that suggested that GM Peter Leko’s near abandonment of the Caro-Kann could be at least partly traced back to his famous loss with black to Kobese in 2001.

Yes… Solomon had passed Kobese long ago. He has played consistently with appearances in an number of international tournaments. Kobese has long been one of the best candidate’s for the GM title, but he has spent a lot of time focusing on other projects. It’s a shame because he definitely had the talent.

Congratulations to Sischy Sian of RSA for winning the Women
Championships.
1 WCM Sischy Monique Sian RSA 1996 8.5 8(TB1) 34.0(TB2) 42.00(TB3)
2 WFM Modongo Boikhutso BOT 1846 7.5 7(TB1) 32.5 33.50
3 WIM Solomon Anzel RSA 1911 6.0 4(TB1) 33.0 26.00
4 WCM Lopang Tshepiso BOT 1882 5.5 4(TB1) 30.5 19.00
5 Vilhete Vania Fausto Da T MOZ 1718 5.0 5(TB1) 31.0 16.50
6 Saina Yvone ZAM 4.5 4(TB1) 35.0 17.25
7 Francis Onkemetse BOT 4.5 3(TB1) 30.5 17.00
8 WCM Mokgacha Keitumetse BOT 4.0 3(TB1) 32.0 13.00
9 WGM Sabure Tuduetso BOT 1993 3.5 3(TB1) 27.5 9.00
10 Rosalino Sonia ANG 3.0 2(TB1) 31.5 9.25
11 WCM Reis Fatima ANG 1860 3.0 2(TB1) 31.0 10.75
12 Mbhata Constance ZAM 1760 2.5 1(TB1) 29.0 7.25
13 Oliviera Engracia ANG 2.0 0(TB1) 27.5 5.50
14 Michel Jesse MOZ 1.5 0(TB1) 32.0 7.00

Annotation:
Tie Break1: The greater number of victories
Tie Break2: Buchholz Tie-Breaks (variabel with parameter)
Tie Break3: Sonneborn-Berger-Tie-Break variable

Indeed accolades to Daniel Jere and not forgetting Monique Sischy. Cogratulations to both! By achieving IM & WIM status respectively in this manner these young chess players can be proud as it did not come easy or as a favour. WELL DESERVED!

I heard there was no prize fund?! somebody tell me more about this Zone 4.3 tourney. Very disgusting and disturbing.

Jackie,

They were following FIDE regulations which have been in place for years. You cannot get a GM title or norm at a subzonal event. You can only get outright GM titles for winning championship events. For continental competitions (not subzonals), you can get (at most) a GM norm. Gwaze has earned one norm each from the African Juniors and one for African Championships.

The practice of awarding titles after one performance (regardless of the tournament’s strength) instead of getting the required three IM norms and 2400 ELO is still controversial. If you notice in the FIDE Handbook, Africa is not mentioned in those regions eligible to give IM titles for one performance. I believe that is not an accident. There is a lot of derision when discussing African players and their low ELO rating given their titles. However, this is because of lack of opportunities and lack of initiative to attract GMs to Africa to play.

One famous GM went on record to say Africa did not deserve six spots in the World Cup because their ratings were too low. There is no certainty on how long this title regulation will remain. They may do away with “one tournament, one title” opportunity. Years ago, I had a conversation with Allan Herbert who stated that the initial purpose was helping regions with few players a chance at earning titles. However, it is not designed to be the only way a player should vie for the title, but an alternative. The only player in sub-Saharan Africa to earn the IM title in the three-norm system is IM-elect Farai Mandizha. All others have earned the IM title by scoring 66% in a single tournament.

I remember there was a reluctance to award Simutowe his GM title because he earned two norms from dominating two African Juniors. After getting his third norm in the Stimulans tournament, he ended up earning about three more GM norms so that his GM worthiness cease to be questioned. Gwaze will have to get one more GM norm, but FIDE will not award the title unless he makes 2500 ELO. Let’s hope Gwaze can get some international tournaments to get the norm and ELO rating.

Regulations can be seen here… https://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html?id=58&view=article.

Hi Daaim
Thanks for the reply my man. Frankly we all should appreciate the selfless service you provide the chess community! I get this title thing now.

Do you have any clue how FIDE awarded Botswana player Sabure with the WGM in Zambia? I was there and many saw it as an election ploy. I scouwered the FIDE manuals and I am still at a loss. If we look at her chess strength now… one wonders how she got such a prestigeous title.