FIDE, the World’s Chess governing body has awarded Eng. Andrew Naimanye with a FIDE Master (FM) title, bringing the total number of Ugandans holding the much coveted FIDE Master title to four.
The award of an FM title to Naimanye followed an application from the Uganda Chess Federation citing his high rating of 2360.
According to FIDE regulations, players who acquire a rating above 23000 automatically qualify for the title.
Eng. Naimanye attained a rating of 2360, the highest in East Africa about 20 years ago.
In a related development, two previously unrated youngsters; Farouk Fauza and Mathias Allan Ssonko have acquired international ratings following splendid displays in recent tournaments. Fauza’s new rating is 2172 while Ssonko has acquired a rating of 2006.
Fauza and Ssonko join Arthur Ssegwanyi and Elijah Emojong who also attained international ratings in the last one year as a result of UCF’s concerted efforts to ensure that as many players as possible acquire international ratings and titles.
Uganda now has Four FIDE Masters and Two Candidate Masters. “This shows that we are a power in this region and we are targeting ten more FM’s in the next ten years,” Vianney Luggya, the UCF president said. “We would like to acquire a Grand Master put it takes a long process.”