"Namibia to Host African Chess Championships," The Namibian, 7 August 2007 (Windhoek, Namibia).

NAMIBIA will host the African Individual Chess Championships from early next month, the Namibia Chess Federation announced recently.

The NCF said the World Chess Federation instructed a high-level delegation - Lewis Ncube, FIDE vice-president, and Dabilani Buthali, African Chess Union president - to inspect the facilities where this prestigious event will take place. The Championship will be hosted at the Kuiseb One room of the Safari Court Hotel in Windhoek from August 31 to September 11.

"It's a first for Namibia and indeed an honour to have the best chess players on the continent fighting it out on the chessboard on Namibian soil. We expect 145 visitors, of which 100 will be players, 45 coaches and with the rest being arbiters, delegates and journalists," the NCF said in a statement.

The first six players of this event will qualify for the World Cup that will be hosted in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia, later this year. The total prize money of $250 000 is sponsored by FIDE (Fédération Internationale Des Échecs), the World Chess Federation.

The NCF said this is also a great opportunity for local chess talent to improve their international chess rating and obtain FIDE chess titles. "Three Namibian men and two women will be allowed to battle with the best of the best in Africa. An arbiter's course will also be facilitated by Werner Stubenvoll from September 1 to 8," it said.

Grandmaster Ahmed Adley from Egypt (upper right) will defend his title against the likes of GM Amin Bassem of Egypt, GM Hicham Hamdouchi from Morocco, GM Belkhodjia Slim from Tunisia, IM Arab Adlane from Algiers and IM Amon Simutowe from Zambia.

Others in action include IM Robert Gwaze from Zimbabwe, IM Watu Kobese from South Africa and IM George Michelakis from South Africa, while IM Kenny Solomon from South Africa and Namibia's national chess masters, Charles Eichab and Werner Tjipueja, will also be in contention.

The NFC invites the public to come and watch the games.
https://www.namibianchessfederation.com/

Posted by The Chess Drum: 19 August 2007

Comments? (Drum Blog)