On board one, Arthur Ssegwanyi lost to GM Miezis Normunds (rated 2580), on board two Candidate Master Patrick Kawuma lost to Grand Master Neiksans Artus as Harold Wanyama lost to IM Samolins Vitalijs (rated 2404).
In the Emojong – Starostits game, the Ugandan had the white pieces and opened with d4 in a game that took on the Kings Gambit accepted variation.
Later in the middle game, Emojong snatched a piece after a series of tactical manouvres and the Grandmaster did not recover.
Emojong now goes down in history as the second Ugandan to beat a Grandmaster at the World Chess Olympiad after Fide Master Steven Kawuma who beat Argentina’s Grand Master Diego Valerga at the 2010 World Chess Olympiad in Khanty Mansisyk.
The other historic feats against Grandmaster opposition at previous Olympiads include draws by Grace Nsubuga against GM Evgni Sveshnikov of Latvia in 2004 and Emmanuel Kabuye against GM Eugene Torre of Philipines in 1988.
In other first round games, the Ugandan ladies team went down 4-0 at the hands of star studded Switzerland.
Grace Kigeni, Ivy Amoko, Goretti Angolikin and Phiona Mutesi fell at the hands of Switzerland’s Grandmaster Hund Barbra, IM Heinatz Gundula, FM De Seroux Kamil and Stoeri Laura. Amoko had the longest game and just fell short of pulling off a surprise against the Swiss IM after she squandered an exchange
The first round is usually the most tricky encounter and Uganda has historically never won or even drawn a first round match at the World Chess Olympiad.