Woman Fide Master Christine Namaganda says she deserved to be named the Best Female Chess Player of the Year 2016 ahead of Woman Candidate Master [WCM] Joyce Kabengano.
Kabengano who attained her WCM title in September last year after earning 3.5 points at the World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan was voted Best Female Chess Player of the Year by Uganda Sports Press Association [USPA] on Monday, but Namaganda has slammed the process which recognized her fellow Olympian as the best.
The six time National Chess Champion is adamant she deserved to come top on account of her performances last year.
“Who does this voting?” asked a disappointed Namaganda. “I think I stood better. I did better at the Olympiad; I won a lot more than she did. I was the best on board five in the league and overall was the best in the league.
“She didn’t deserve it. I was better than her at all corners. I know I won and someone else is taking it,” concluded a furious Namaganda.
While Kabengano’s 3.5 points at the biennial tournament handed her her first title, Namaganda returned home from Baku as the best performing female on the team.
Like Kabengo, the rated 1595 attained 3.5 points, but unlike her teammate, won all bar one game.
The seeded fifth [Woman] in the country won three of her four games, beating Wadima Humaid Alkalbani from United Arab Emirates in the sixth round-her first game at the tournament-before seeing out Hong Kong’s Lee Lok Yi and Goswami Sugandha from Fiji in the seventh and tenth round respectively.
Only Panama’s Chung Yaleika denied her a full point as the duo drew in the ninth round.
With 3.5 out of a possible 4, she ended the tournament unbeaten, making her the only player in the team who avoided defeat at the Olympiad.
On the other hand, Kabengano who played more games than the WFM lost thrice and drew as many, leaving her with only two victories.
Africa Individual Chess Championships
At the prestigious event hosted here in Uganda last year in July, Namaganda finished eleventh with 4 points, two places ahead of Kabengano. The same event saw the former beat her rival when they met in the eighth round.
Performance in the National Chess League
In the domestic league, Namaganda, a board five player at City Chess Club was crowned the best player in the league having won eleven of her twelve games.
She owned board five, winning all her games and losing just one.
Kabengano meanwhile came 13th overall with 6.5 points.