2016 African Individual Championships (Kampala, Uganda)

Uganda Uganda Uganda

Crested Crane, national bird of Uganda

Following the successful hosting of the 2015 Africa Zone 4.2 chess championship in Kampala, Uganda Chess Federation was granted the right to host the 2016 Africa Individual Chess Championship. The event will run from 16th July 2016 up to 27th July 2016 at Tick Hotel, along Bombo Road in Kampala. The event will comprise two categories, the Open and Ladies category and will have a standard, rapid and blitz rate of play in each. A mouth watering array of prizes (cash and trophies) awaits the victors who will be the new Africa Chess Champion – Open and Ladies respectively.

The annual event attracts the best players of the continent. Given that the host federation provides full board accommodation for two official players per federation (one for open and one for ladies category), the event is always graced by the best individuals from the participating countries. Confirmations received to date include all the leading chess playing countries in Africa. Three Egyptian Grandmasters lead the pack followed by a strong field of players from Algeria, South Africa, Angola and Nigeria. Others include the hosts Uganda, Ghana, Somalia and others.

Patrick Kawuma

The highest ranked players registered to date are GM Adly Ahmed from Egypt (2607), GM Shoker Samy (2489) GM Essam El Gindy (2431) and GM Haddouche Mohamed (2494) who will have to be contained by our lower rated local players like IM Arthur Ssegwanyi, FM Wanyama Harold, FM Kawuma Patrick and Okas Walter.

The ladies pack is also likely to be dominated by Egyptian WGM Mona Kaled who seems to have no equals on the continent. Having won the 2016 Zone 4.2 individual championship undisputed in Dar-es-salaam Tanzania, she intends to extend her dominance on the continent. The local ladies will be led by WFMs Grace Kigeni and Angolikin Goretti who will have to draw on their growing experience to over come much more experienced South Africans and Egyptians.

Alongside the individual championships a FIDE Arbiter’s seminar shall be held from 18th September 2016 to 23rd September 2016. The event will enable participants to gain much needed technical capacity as far as arbitration of chess is concerned. It will also offer an opportunity for participants to earn FIDE arbiter norms and or titles directly if the pass the written exam.

Link: https://uganda.fide.com/

2015 African Individual Chess Championships
May 1st – May 13th, 2015 (Cairo, Egypt)
Open Section
#
Name
Title
Federation
Flag
Rating
1 Adly, Ahmed GM Egypt
2607
2 Shoker, Samy GM Egypt
2489
3 Arab, Adlane IM Algeria
2482
4 Ameir, Moheb GM Egypt
2438
5 El-Gindy, Essam GM Egypt
2431
6 Cawdery, Daniel IM South Africa
2412
7 Kayonde, Andrew FM Zambia
2404
8 Hesham, Abdelrahman IM Egypt
2400
9 Ssegwanyi, Arthur IM Uganda
2366
10 Kigigha, Bomo FM Nigeria
2344
11 Aderito, Pedro IM Angola
2318
12 Silva, David IM Angola
2305
13 Oussedik, Mahfoud FM Algeria
2299
14 Soares, Erikson IM Angola
2282
15 Wanyama, Harold FM Uganda
2269
16 Kawuma, Patrick FM Uganda
2247
17 Aguiar, Cristiano FM Angola
2219
18 Talbi, Chafik Algeria
2206
19 Alberto, Manuel CM Angola
2191
20 Magana, Ben CM Kenya
2149
21 Bouah, Lyndon CM South Africa
2124
22 Gonza, Simon Uganda
2097
23 Farouk, Fauza Uganda
2093
24 Kamoga, Rajab Uganda
2087
25 James, Madol Panchol Kenya
2037
26 Mosenya, Ndawana Botswana
2028
27 Anquandah, Francis IM Ghana
2019
28 Mwangi, Martin Kenya
1785
29 Fidow, Kassim Botswana
2049
30 Mohamud Hussein Ali Somalia
1557
31 Abdulkadir, Ahmed Somalia
Women’s Section
1 Wafa, Shahenda WIM Egypt
2106
2 Wafa, Shrook WIM Egypt
2160
3 Mezioud, Amina WIM Algeria
2073
4 Mezioud, Amina WIM Algeria
2073
5 Mwango, Lorita WFM Zambia
1938
6 Hamza, Amira WIM Algeria
1933
7 Elansary, Eman WCM Egypt
1863
8 Frick, Denise WIM South Africa
1905
9 Caxita, Esperanca WIM Angola
1822
10 Laubscher, Anzel WIM South Africa
1797
11 Mudongo, Boikhutso WIM South Africa
1760
12 Domingos, Maria WIM Angola
1712
13 Fisher, Michelle WCM South Africa
1681
14 Joao, Delfina Angola
1659
15 Van Niekerk, Robyn South Africa
1621
16 Angolikin, Goretti WFM Uganda
1607
17 Van Niekerk, Megan South Africa
1594
18 Namaganda, Christine WFM Uganda
1564
19 Kabengano, Joyce Uganda
1556
20 Joyce, Nyaruai Kenya
1471
21 Nansubuga, Gloria Uganda
1445
22 Ampaire, Shakira Uganda
1367
23 Babirye, Stella Uganda
1244
African Chess Confederation

Open: https://chess-results.com/tnr228388.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=9&wi=821
Women: https://chess-results.com/tnr228391.aspx?lan=1&art=0&flag=30&wi=821

One Comment

  1. Hesham wins 2016 African Championship!

    IM Abdelrahman Hesham
    All photos by Paras Gudka

    Uganda was host to the 2016 African Individual Chess Championships held from 16th July 2016 up to 27th July 2016 at Tick Hotel in Kampala. Players from twelve countries came with visions and dreams of winning the title of African Champion. The event comprised two categories, the Open and Ladies category and had classical, rapid and blitz rate of play in each.

    The tournament was competitive even through last year’s tournament was a bit stronger with GM Bassem Amin headlining the field with GM Ahmed Adly second seed. This year Adly would try to hold the board one position, but it is known that he has had trouble in first round matchups losing to less-fancied players. In the first round he was held by FM Patrick Kawuma of Uganda after going into complications that yielded black an exchange. Adly had to escape with a draw.

    This would upset the charts and give other seeds a chance to hold the top table. It appeared that the top Egyptian players were being nicked by other players (or each other) and after four rounds, no one had a perfect score. GM Samy Shoker would also be in the hunt and he showed his mettle with this win over last year’s World Cup qualifier, IM Arthur Ssegwanyi. In this game, a queen sacrifice was on the board.

    After five rounds, Adly was back at the top along with IM Arab Adlane, GM Essam El-Gindy and FM Andrew Kayonde. The Zambian Kayonde would become a GM-killer in the next round beating Adly and the Egyptian would never recover.

    Meanwhile, Kayonde was now in first place heading for the title. He then beat El-Gindy staying ahead of the surging Egyptian IM Abdelrahman Hesham who had won four in a row. Kayonde was on 6/7 followed by Hesham’s 5.5/7 and the two would match up in an eighth round battle.

    FM Andrew Kayonde

    So Hesham would take the lead with the championship and GM title in sight. Kayonde also had such dreams, but had to take down another Grandmaster in Shoker who was trying to get one of the qualifying spots for the World Cup. All Hesham needed was a draw to clinch and he agreed to a rather effortless draw with South African IM Daniel Cawdery. Kayonde also split the point and would have to settle for the IM title. Nevertheless, the Zambian chess community was elated at his performance. In the end, the top four on the final table would be: Hesham on 7/9 followed by Kayonde, Adly and Arab on 6.5/9.

    OPEN (Classical)

    GOLD- IM Abdelrahman Hesham (Egypt)
    Egypt

    SILVER- FM Andrew Kayonde (Zambia)
    Zambia

    BRONZE – GM Ahmed Adly (Egypt)
    Egypt

    FM Andrew Kayonde, IM Abdelrahman Hesham, GM Ahmed Adly

    Final Standings (Open)

    WGM Shrook Wafa
    All photos by Paras Gudka

    In the women’s section, a similar field from the previous year assembled, but without Africa’s top women’s player and defending champion, WGM Mona Khaled. Nevertheless several of the top competitors would be returning for another shot at glory. The top seed this year would be Shahenda Wafa and her sister two-time former champion WGM Shrook Wafa.

    Both would be favorites along with Algerians WIM Amina Mezioud and WIM Sabrina Latreche. Last year’s 5th place finisher WFM Eman Elansary would be in the inner circle as would Zambia’s WFM Lorita Mwango. South Africa was sending five players with hopes to create some upsets. As it were, the favorites would hold their positions.

    Zambia’s WFM Lorita Mwango

    The initial round saw no upset, but in the second round Mwango was stopped by South Africa’s WIM Anzel Laubscher. However, it would be Mwango who would upset the pairings. After the upset loss, she with 3/5 against the top five seeds including a win over Shrook Wafa. However, Shrook was buoyed by her five wins to open the tournament and she got help from none other than her sister Shahenda who won a thrilling game against Mwango in round eight.

    Botswana’s WIM Tshepiso Lopang, a long-time national player is now taking the role as organizer and arbiter in international tournaments.

    Women in action!

    Shakira Ampaire showing the Ugandan charm.

    After eight rounds, Shrook Wafa was ahead of Shahenda Wafa and Eman Elansary by half-point. All three had already clinched medals, but the only thing left was to determine the 1-2-3 order. Shrook only needed a draw against Angola’s Esperanca Caxita to clinch the title which she duly earned. The other games were a formality, but of course South Africans Denise Frick and Robyn Van Niekerk were looking for upsets. While Wafa-Caxita was drawn, Wafa-Frick and Elansary-Van Niekerk went in favor of the Egyptians finalizing the clean sweep of the medals… Wafa, Wafa and Elansary.

    WOMEN (Classical)

    GOLD – WGM Shrook Wafa (Egypt)
    Egypt

    SILVER – WIM Shahenda Wafa (Egypt)
    Egypt

    BRONZE – WIM Eman Elandary (Egypt)
    Egypt

    WGM Shrook Wafa, WIM Shahenda Wafa, WFM Eman Elansary

    Final Standings (Women)

    2016 African Championship winners

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