Team Uganda commenced round one with mixed results during the 44th Olympiad Chennai 2022 open at the Four Points by Sheraton arena in Mahabalipuram, India on Friday, 29th July.
Whereas the men’s team was in scintillating form with a 4-0 win over Equatorial Guinea, the ladies failed to skip the hurdle, falling to Cuba by the same margin.
FM Harold Wanyama (2242) overcame Angel Capche Gatjens Estanislao 1-0 on board one, Walter Okas (2191) defeated Miguel Angel Etuba Badangue on board two.
Haruna Nsubuga (2160) pipped Jose Primo Esono Okomo Nguema on board three.
Emmanuel Egesa (2152) edged Ricardo Dougan Abia on board four.
Ladies:
Peninah Nakabo (1747) lost to Teresa Lisandra Ordaz Valdes, rated 1747.
WCM Shakira Ampaire (1666) fell to Llanes Yerisbel Miranda (2347).
WFM Gloria Nansubuga (1538) was defeated by Yaniela Moreno Forgas (2343).
Patricia Kawuma (1653) lost to Gil Ineymig Hernandez (2234)
During round two, Uganda women team plays Eswatini and the men side will battle Canada.
Nakabo will take on Nosimilo Mkhonto (1313), WFM Nansubuga faces Sibisi Nomcebo (1225), Kawuma Patricia battles Dlamini Sincobile (1153) whilst Takali will lock-horn against Dlamini Nosipho (1081).
Men Round 2 pairings:
Wanyama will take on Eric Hansen (2606), Kawuma squares up against Raja Panjwani (2450), Okas will play Nikolay Noritsyn (2482) and Nsubuga shall battle Artiom Samsonkin (2334).
The Chess Olympiad in Chennai has attracted 350 teams from 187 countries.
United States of America (USA) leads the ranking in the open section.
India leads the pack in the women section.
Interestingly, China are the defending champions in both sections.
Initially, this event was supposed to take place in Khanty-Mansiysk, which hosted the Chess Olympiad 2010, along with the Chess World Cup 2019 but later FIDE decided to move it to Moscow.
In February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIDE decided to move the event from Moscow.
Khanty-Mansiysk was to host the opening ceremony and the inaugural Chess Paralympics specifically designed for people with disabilities, who were allowed to participate as members of the teams representing blind, deaf and physically disabled players in the past.
Uganda also has the IA, FM Stephen Kisuze Ssemango who was selected by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) as a sector Arbiter.
Kisuze is one of the top and most respected chess arbiters globally and in the continent of Africa.
He has officiated at the world chess Olympiad several times.
