After losing the second round to Egyptian GM Shoker Samy, Uganda’s IM Arthur Ssegwanyi is up and running again in the ongoing African Individual Chess Championship thanks to his two wins.
On a day both FMs Harold Wanyama and Patrick Kawuma faltered, the 28 year old kept the host’s flag flying.
Having registered three points out of the possible four, Ssegwanyi is placed sixth in the standings going into the fifth round. The IM outwitted Algeria’s Talbi Chafik in the third round before downing fellow countryman Simon Gonza in the subsequent round.
Meanwhile, the country’s eleventh seed Gonza, made it two wins in four with victory over Wanyama seeded fourth in Uganda.
While Algeria’s Arab Adlane lost to the tournament’s top seed Adly Ahmed, Egyptian GM Shoker Samy regained the top spot after beating Oussedik Mahfoud from Algeria. Earlier, Samy drew against fellow GM El Gindy Essam.
After his spectacular start to the tourney, Zambia’s Andrew Kayonde lost ground following his loss to Adlane.
The Egyptian trio of Shoker, Adly and Essam are the only players in the Open category yet to lose a game. The three have each won three games and drawn one.
In the ladies category, Wafa Shrook from Egypt is yet to meet her match having beaten all her opponents. Women International Masters Laubscher Anzel and Latreche Sabrina are among her victims.
Uganda’s best two performers in the ladies category Goretti Angolikin and Joyce Kabengano are placed 16th and 17th respectively. The two have each won two games.
In other results, round three saw Shakira Ampaire force a draw against South Africa’s WCM Fisher Michelle M but lost the fourth round to Angolikin in an all Ugandan affair.
The tourney resumes tomorrow with the fifth and sixth rounds.
In the Open category, board one will have Ssegwanyi take on Kayonde in the fifth round, while boards 10 and 12 await Kawuma and Wanyama against Talbi and Kamoga respectively.
Grand Masters Essam and Adly are paired on board one.
In the ladies category, Wafa Shahenda will try to end her namesake Shrook’s winning spree, while Kabengano and Angolikin will battle for the country’s bragging rights on board seven.
