Woman Fide Masters Christine Namaganda and Grace Kigeni will clash on Sunday at Hotel Africana when Dmark face Bank of Uganda in the ninth round of the National Chess League.
The two – teammates in the national team – meet on board five, with Kigeni looking to maintain her number one spot on the board having won all bar one of her eight games, while Namaganda will look to improve on her displays.
Kigeni, rated 1632 and seeded No.2 in East Africa saw her perfect run halted two weeks after she drew against the region’s No.1 seed Ivy Clare Amoko in the eighth round. She will be hoping to out-muscle Namaganda, rated 1538 by FIDE, but the sixth seed in Uganda who represented the country in India at the Commonwealth Chess Championships a couple of months ago won’t be there for the taking as she will try to avoid stumbling against another big name.
She already lost to Amoko and drew against Angolikin. She will be hoping to better her performance, and by doing that will help Dmark overcome BOU.
Dmark currently trail table leaders Kireka by five points. The side will hope to silence Kigeni and her teammates as they look to regain their winning momentum, but that will be a tough task as Bob Bibasa’s record against Allan Mathias Ssonko – his board one opponent – doesn’t favor him.
The two have met five times and Ssonko has won three of those meets.
FM Patrick Kawuma and Walter Okas, however, should be able to down their opponents who they meet on board three and four respectively.
Table leaders Kireka entertain Aviation in the eighth round looking to maintain their position at the top of the table.
The side climbed to the top of the table a couple of weeks ago following their resounding victories against Kireka B – their sister club – and Comrades in the seventh and eighth rounds respectively, and now lead the table standings with 21 points.
The defending champions are expected to field their recent signing International Master Arthur Ssegwanyi for the first time since his transfer from bitter rivals Dmark. Ssegwanyi was to make his debut last game week, but that had to wait following his delayed travels from Nairobi that was caused by the ‘election fever’ in Kenya.
If the IM makes appearance, he will face former UCF Technical Director Stephen Kisuze on board one.
Kireka will have FM Harold Wanyama who has been a regular on board one shift to board two, and shall meet former UCF president Vianney Luggya. It will be the first time since last year’s Olympiad the FM is playing on the second board.
FM Haruna Nsubuga will be the one making way for Wanyama, and he will verse Godfrey Luberenga on board three.
Kireka will miss the service of Simon Gonza who traveled with the junior team to Zimbabwe for the African Schools Individual Chess Championships starting later today. In his place, either namesake Simon Isiko or Edgar Ntende will be fielded.
Woman Fide Master Gorreti Angolikin will come on board five for Kireka and she will face off against reigning USPA Player of the Year Joyce Kabengano.
