FIDE Master Elijah Emojong is now almost certain of making it on Uganda’s Olympiad bound team for the first time after notching 7.5 points out of a possible 8, 2 full points ahead of his closest challengers in the Qualifiers raging on at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel in Rubaga.
To get to 7.5 points, Emojong won his seventh and eigth round games against Olympian Harold Wanyama and Daniel Baagadde respectively.
Following closely are Wanyama and Rajab Kamoga at 5.5 points each. Kamoga lost to Farouk Fauza in the seventh round but recovered to beat Micheal Mawanda in the eighth while Wanyama edged Vianney Luggya in the eighth round.In other games, CM Patrick Kawuma who has closed in on the leaders at 5 points drew with Bob Bibasa in the morning and later beat ex Olympian Kenneth Kakooza in the afternoon
Haruna Nsubuga is at 4.5 points after he beat Kakooza in the morning but fell at the hands of Fauza in the afternoon.Ex Olympian Shadrack Kantinti drew with Luggya in the morning but was at the time of filing this report slugging it out with his compatriot Bibasa in a tricky Bishop and Rook ending in which Kantinti had an advanced Pawn on the sixth rank threatening to Queen.
The games continue with ninth and tenth rounds on Sunday 6 May 2012 ending on Saturday 12 May 2012. The top four will make it for Uganda’s men’s team to join National Chess Champion, Arthur Ssegwanyi.
In the ladies category, Olympian Ivy Amoko shot to the top at the same number of points (6) with early pace setter Goretti Angolikin and Phiona Mutesi after she beat Joan Nakimuli and Angolikin drew with Phiona Mutesi.