The last phase of the 2016 Chess Olympiad qualifiers that started three weeks ago ended yesterday at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel – Rubaga
Arthur Ssegwanyi, Walter Okas, Patrick Kawuma, Harold Wanyama and Farouk Fauza finished as top five and will now represent Uganda in the African individual championship due May and in the Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan.
International Master Ssegwanyi won the event with 10,0 points while Okas , Kawuma and Wanyama finished with 8,0 points each. Farouk completed the top five with 6,0 points.
Ssegwanyi once again proved to Ugandans why he’s the country’s top seed when he won all rounds except one. The number one seed lost the 10th round to Rajab Kamogo but qualification for him was already guaranteed.
Okas and Farouk’s great performances at the qualifiers ensured they made it to the national team for the first at the expense of candidate master Bob Bibasa who finished with just 2,5 points.
Okas beat Bibasa in the 10th round, and the latter had prior to that managed only a draw against Farouk in the 5th round. The pair drew their final game.
In the ladies, Phiona Mutesi, Goretti Angolikin, Grace Kigeri, Joyce Kabengawo and Christine Namaganda came top.