African Championship 2024: Bassem Amin and Jesse February win titles
Bassem Amin (Egypt) and Jesse Nikki February (South Africa) are the new African Chess Champions. The top-seeded Egyptian GM, who clinched the title yesterday, continued his domination in the final round, defeating IM Andrew Kayonde (Zambia) with the black pieces. The champion scored an impressive 8.5/9, conceding his opponents just a half-point. The second seed, GM Bilel Bellahcene (pictured below, left), beat IM Mariano Ortega Amarelle of Cape Verde and finished second with 7/9. IM Chitumbo Mwali (Zambia; pictured above, right) pulled off a crucial victory over IM Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo (Madagascar) and took bronze, netting 6.5/9. The sixth seed Zambian had a great tournament and picked up 39 rating points. Final standings Open: 1 GM Bassem Amin EGY 2670 8½ 2 GM Bilel Bellahcene ALG 2522 7 3 IM Chitumbo Mwali ZAM 2340 6½ 4 IM David Silva ANG 2358 6 5 FM Banele Mhango RSA 2193 6 6 Nicolas Cogan CIV 2070 6 7 IM Andrew Kayonde ZAM 2321 6 8 IM Odion Aikhoje NGR 2215 6 9 IM Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo MAD 2454 5½ 10 FM Abdulrahman Abdulraheem NGR 2229 5½ Complete final standings In the women’s section, WIM Jesse Nikki February (RSA) needed just a draw against Lidet Abate Haile of Ephiopia to win the title, but it was not an easy task. The South African had a lost position at some point but eventually escaped with a draw and took gold with an impressive score of 7.5/9. The top and second seeds, WGM Shahenda Wafa (pictured above, left) of Egypt and WIM Lina Nassr from Algeria (both defeated by the champion with the black pieces), tied for second place on 6.5/9, with the latter winning silver thanks to a better opponents’ average rating. Final standings Women: 1 WIM Jesse Nikki February RSA 1920 7½ 2 WIM Lina Nassr ALG 2080 6½ 3 WGM Shahenda Wafa EGY 2083 6½ 4 Deborah Quickpen NGR 1945 6 5 Peninah Nakabo UGA 1836 5½ 6 Jemima Paulo ANG 1946 5½ 7 WIM Vania Fausto Da T. Vilhete MOZ 1829 5½ 8 Lidet Abate Haile ETH 1786 5½ 9 WFM Constance Mbatha ZAM 1799 5½ 10 WFM Ednasia Junior ANG 1915 5 Complete final standings Photos: Niki Riga and Ogunsiku Babatunde UPDATE March 20, 2024 Bassem Amin emerged as the winner of the African Championship 2024, clinching the title in the open section with a round to spare. GM from Egypt beat IM David Silva of Angola in the penultimate round to score 7.5/8 and became out-of-reach for all his competitors. GM Bilel Bellahcene (Algeria) and IM Andrew Kayonde (Zambia) are going into the final round, sharing second place on 6/8. Standings after Round 8 Open In the women’s section, the leader Jesse Nikki February (RSA) bounced back after yesterday’s loss, defeating Toritsemuwa Ofowino of Nigeria. IM from South Africa has an excellent chance for the African crown heading to the final round on 7/8, a full point ahead of Lina Nassr of Algeria (who scored a crucial victory over Peninah Nakabo of Uganda in Round 8). Deborah Ebimobo-Ere Quickpen (Nigeria) and Sharenda Wafa (Egypt) are tied for third place on 5.5/8. Standings after Round 8 Women UPDATE March 19, 2024 After seven rounds at the 2024 African Championship, Bassem Amin and Jesse Nikki February remained on top, with a one-point lead over their closest competitors. In Round 7 Amin defeated Jemusse Zhemba of Zambia to consolidate his leading position in the standings with 6.5/7. Bilel Bellahcene (Algeria) and David Silva (Angola) are tied for second place, trailing the leader by a full point. Jesse Nikki February suffered her first defeat in the competition at the hands of Deborah Ebimobo-Ere Quickpen of Nigeria. Still, she comfortably leads with 6/7, one point ahead of four players sharing second place. Standings after Round 7 Open Standings after Round 7 Women UPDATE March 18, 2024 After six rounds of exciting battles at the African Individual Championships 2024, Bassem Amin (Egypt) and Jesse Nikki February (South Africa) have emerged as the sole leaders in the open and women’s sections, respectively. The top seed GM Bassem Amin scored a crucial victory over one of his main rivals, GM Bilel Bellahcene of Algeria in Round 6, and grabbed the lead with 5/6. IM Chitumbo Mwali from Zambia had a chance to catch up with the Egyptian, but after drawing his game with David Silva (Angola), he trails the leader by a half-point (4.5/6). A group of four players is a full point behind Amin. Standings after Round 6 Open Jesse Nikki February (pictured above) has dominated the women’s section so far. The South African WIM notched up six straight wins, including victories over her main rivals, the top and second seeds WGM Shahenda Nafa (Egypt) and WIM Lina Nassr (Algeria), who are in second (5/6) and third (4/6) positions, respectively. Standings after Round 6 Women The African Individual Championships 2024 kicked off on March 13 in Accra, Ghana, the city that recently hosted the chess competition of the 13th African Games. Both open and women’s championships, 9-round Swiss events with classical time control, will stretch from March 13-20, 2024. Top African players, including Grandmasters Bassem Amin (EGY) and Bilel Bellahcene (ALG), International Masters Mariano Ortega Amarelle (CPV), Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo (MAD), David Silva (ANG), Chitumbo Mwali (ZAM), Women’s Grandmaster Shahenda Wafa (EGY), and Women’s International Masters Lina Nassr (ALG) and Jesse Nikki February (RSA), have converged for this prestigious event. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich participated in the opening ceremony and made the first ceremonial move in the women’s competition. In his short speech he thanked the organizers, greeted all the participants and touched on social aspect of chess competitions in Africa. “I hope everyone will show their best in this event. I also wish luck to all of you… Chess in African Games was more than just a sports event. We connected local chess communities with national governments and commissions so they can help you in your countries.” FIDE President also announced that in just a few
World Junior U20 Championship 2024: Registration is open
FIDE and the Gujarat State Chess Association, on behalf of the All India Chess Federation, with the support of the Government of Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, invite all FIDE Member Federations and eligible players to participate in the FIDE World Junior Chess Championship Under 20 in Gandhinagar, state Gujarat. The competition will take place from June 1-14th, 2024. Each National Federation can field one player born on or after January 1, 2004 in each of two categories – Open and Girls, with a maximum of two invited players and send as many additional players as they wish. Players with personal rights, according to FIDE rules, will also be accepted as invited players: Top 3 players of the previous edition of FIDE World Junior Championships. The Continental Junior Champions of the year preceding this edition. If a Continent did not organize a Continental Junior Championship, then the Continental Under 18 Champions of the year preceding this edition. The first three players in the starting list of both the Open and Girls tournaments, using the current rating list when the tournament starts. World Youth U18 and U16 champions of the year preceding this edition. The registration deadline for the players with personal rights, additional players and accompanying persons is May 1, 2024. FIDE World Junior Chess Championships 2024 official website is coming up soon: worldjunior2024.fide.com Email: worldjunior@fide.com Invitation letter and Regulations (pdf)
FIDE World School Championship 2024: Registration is open
FIDE and the Peruvian Chess Sports Federation (FDPA) invite all FIDE Member Federations and eligible players to participate in the FIDE World School Chess Championship in the Constitutional Province of Callao in Lima, Peru, from April 30 to May 10, 2024. The competition will be held in six age groups U7, U9, U11, U13, U15 and U17, with separate events in open and girls’ categories. Each National Federation can field as many players as they wish. The champions of the previous World School Championship and the Continental School Champions of the year preceding this edition will receive free accommodation and meals for ten (10) nights, sharing a double room. The deadline for the registration is April 6, 2024. To register for the event, national federations shall fill out the corresponding forms in English and Spanish provided in the Invitation letter, paragraph 10.1. Email: worldschool@fide.com Regulations and Invitation Letter Regulations and Invitation Letter (Spanish)
VAR and idChess broadcast debut in women’s tournament
The 55th edition of a popular ladies’ tournament in Serbia brought together strong female players from different countries. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and idChess broadcast were used in the competition for the first time. The round robin with classical time control in Belgrade featured players from five countries: Lu Miaoyi and Xu Yuanyuan from China, Sandra Djukic, Elif Mehmed, Vera Vujovic and Sofia Pogorelskikh from Serbia, Aleksandra Maltsevskaya and Anna Kubicka from Poland, Evgeniya Doluhanova from Ukraine, and Bhakti Kulkarni from India. VAR was used in the competition for the first time. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is the idChess technology that helps chess arbiters to make the right decisions in controversial situations. Through video recording and artificial intelligence, VAR shows which moves were made, allowing the arbiter to analyze controversial moments quickly. The arbiter can scrutinize the controversial episode using VAR and if necessary pause the video, rewind using the navigation on the timeline with the marks. The game broadcast is suspended until the circumstances are clarified. After the game, organizers and arbiters have a recording of chess notation (also broadcast and saved on the platform live.idchess.com) and a video recording of the game. The game is securely recorded in two ways, making any errors impossible. “I am happy to see VAR, Video Assistant Referee, for the first time in Serbia. This technology brings a guarantee of a fair game to chess. The decisions of arbiters will be objective since they are based on facts and the game records with VAR,” said Vladimir Sakotic, organizer of the tournament. “In addition to VAR, idChess helps us with broadcasting. People can watch games, both in real time and recorded.” The last round and award ceremony were held on March 10. Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (Poland) emerged as the winner with an excellent score of 7.5/9. Elif Mehmed (Serbia) and Lu Miaoyi (China) finished just a half-point behind the champion with the former taking second place thanks a greater number of victories.
Lesotho Championship: Motlomelo Lihloela and Ngatane Lieketseng win titles
Motlomelo Lihloela and WFM Ngatane Lieketseng emerged as the winners of the 2024 Lesotho Championship. Both champions qualified for the national teams to represent the country in the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Both open and women’s events were 7-round Swiss tournaments running over three days. The 20th seed untitled Motlomelo Lihloela made a splash in the open tournament, taking the title with an impressive score of 6.5/7. Motlomelo won six straight games and made his only draw in the final round to secure the title. Ntsielo Bonolo and Taioe Reitumetse finished a full point behind the champion and tied for second place with the former taking silver thanks to a slightly better Buchholz. Final standings open: 1 Motlomelo, Lihloela 1590 6½ 2 Tsephe, Lebajoa 1859 5½ 3 Mahommed, George 1686 5½ 4 Sibeko, Siabonga 1642 5 5 Motsamai, Bokang 1783 5 6 CM Klaas, Tokelo 1869 5 7 Nkalimeng, Kananelo 1654 4½ 8 Ramakabane, Refuoe 1689 4 9 Phakisi, Katleho 1701 4 10 CM Molapo, Joang 1735 4 The women’s event was a very close race of two top seed players, WFM Ngatane Lieketseng and Ntsielo Bonolo, who scored 6/7 and tied for first place. The title goes to Ngatane thanks to a slightly better Buchholz. As many as three players shared third place with Taioe Reitumetse claiming bronze, scoring 1.5 points in the direct encounters. Final standings Women 1 Ngatane, Lieketseng 1673 6 2 Ntsielo, Bonolo 1654 6 3 Taioe, Reitumetse 1558 4½ 4 Sethabathaba, Boitumelo 1575 4½ 5 Thetsane, Nteboheleng 1531 4½ 6 Leboela, Maboloko 1572 4 7 Makhalemele, Lieketseng 1472 4 8 Molise, Lintle 3½ 9 Shao, Karabo 3½ 10 Makhebesela, Ponts’o 3 Photos: Chess Federation of Lesotho Facebook
World Cup U8, U10, U12: Last call for wild cards
The first-ever FIDE World Cup for youngsters will take place from June 22 to July 3, 2024, in Batumi, Georgia. The tournament will be held in three age groups, U8, U10, and U12, and in two categories, Open and Girls, with 48 participants in each. Altogether, 288 strongest young players from around the globe will participate. The competition consists of two stages, starting with a 7-round Swiss System with two groups of 24 players each. In the next stage, the players in the same position from each group will face off against one another. The top three players in each category will receive awards, including cups, medals, diplomas, and special prizes such as MacBook Air 2022, iPhone 15, or an iPad. Moreover, the first three winners of each age category and gender will receive free full-board accommodation for the World Cadets Championships 2024. There is a unique opportunity to become a part of the World Cup for strongest chess players U8, U10 and U12. Fourteen (14) spots are available upon request from FIDE member federations. Please contact the EVE Commission and World Cup Organizing Committee before April 1, 2024. Contacts: fideevents@fide.com and wcc@fide.com. More information about the event: wcc2024.fide.com/uploads/Invitation.pdf wcc2024.fide.com/uploads/prizes1.pdf Photo: Mark Livshitz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecE8bjwmpl8
13th African Games: Egypt rules supreme
The third and final day of the 13th African Games chess programme featured individual blitz championships (open and women) and a mixed team blitz event. It was another great day for team Egypt, which claimed two out of three gold medals awarded on March 11. In total, Bassem Amin and Shahenda Wafa collected five golds at the 13th African Games. The day started with individual blitz competitions open and women sections, 9-round Swiss events with 5 min + 3 sec time control. Bassem Amin, the only GM in the field, put in a very strong performance and won his third gold with an impressive 8/9. The second seed, IM Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo of Madagascar, gave the champion a good run for his money and also scored 8/9 but had to settle for silver after losing the direct encounter. FM Banele Mhango of South Africa pulled off a crucial final-round victory over IM Adlane Arab from Algeria and took bronze. Final standings Blitz Open Just like day before, the women’s blitz competition was a close race between WGM Shahenda Wafa (Egypt) and Lina Nassr (Algeria; pictured below, left) who came to the final round neck-to-neck on 7/8. Shahenda had a great chance for her third gold (as the winner of the direct encounter) but this time around fortune smiled on the Algerian. Wafa completely misplayed a superior position against Constance Mbatha of Zambia and lost, while Nassr achieved overwhelming advantage vs Jesse Nikki February of South Africa but offered a draw to secure the title. The 11th seed, Natalie Katlo Banda, produced a minor sensation and took bronze, netting 6/9. Final standings Women Blitz The mixed blitz tournament was the final chess competition of the 13th African Games. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich visited the event and made the first ceremonial move in the game Shahenda Wafa – Linda Dalitso Shaba. Given Egypt’s previous results in the 13th African Games, the Pharaohs entered the final event as the main favorites and delivered. The Egyptians started out of the gate, winning four straight matches, but in Round 5, they fell to Algeria. The Pharaohs bounced back by beating Angola and Ivory Coast but then dropped another point after drawing with Madagascar in the penultimate round. Algeria had a modest start, drawing three out of four matches, but after defeating the rating favorites in Round 5, they picked up steam and caught up with Egypt going to the final round. Both teams confidently won their matches and tied for first place with 15/18, but Egypt earned gold thanks to a greater number of game points. The same tiebreaker favored Nigeria, which shared third place with Angola but took bronze. Final standings Mixed Team Blitz Over a short closing ceremony, the FIDE President thanked the host country, organizers, arbiters and players, congratulated team Egypt and expressed his satisfaction with the competition: “Our joint efforts brought chess to better visibility and opened better prospects in the future…. The tournament was very intense, with so many games played over just a few days. The competition was amazing. In almost every category, it was not clear who would occupy the podium until the end of the last round. As many as seven teams won medals in this competition, which is great for chess development in Africa.” Official website: accra2023.fide.com/ Official sponsor: Riyadh Season Riyadh Season is an official partner of FIDE at the 13th African Games in Accra. Riyadh Season is one of the world’s largest annual winter entertainment festivals located in Saudi Arabia, it welcomes millions of visitors every year who get to experience a variety of exciting surprises, events, and music concerts. Additionally, it hosts international activities and events that draw in world-renowned stars in sports such as boxing, tennis, and football. The festivities capture the essence of Saudi heritage and hospitality and it showcases its present-day vibranism. For more information about Riyadh season, visit: riyadhseason.com
13th African Games Individual Rapid: Egypt clinch double gold
Team Egypt continued to dominate the 13th African Games chess competitions, with Bassem Amin and Shahenda Wafa winning rapid open and women’s tournaments, respectively. The open event, a six-round Swiss tournament, saw the rating-favourite GM Bassem Amin and the ninth seed CM Donaldo Paiva of Mozambique get off to a great start, both winning three straight games. The co-leaders clash in Round 4 ended in a draw, but in Round 5, Bassem beat FM Jemusse Zhemba (Zimbabwe) and pulled away, as Donaldo suffered a defeat at the hands of FM Harold Wanyama of Uganda. Going into the final round a half-point ahead of Wanyama and a full point ahead of a group of four people, Amin made a quick draw with Gomolemo Rongwane from Botswana, but it was enough to clinch gold with 5/6. His main rival fell to Donaldo Paiva, who tied for second place with Adlane Arab of Algegia and deservedly took silver thanks to the direct encounter win. Final standings: 1 GM Bassem Amin EGY 2580 5 2 CM Donaldo Paiva MOZ 2162 4½ 3 IM Adlane Arab ALG 2415 4½ 4 FM Gomolemo Rongwane BOT 2085 4 5 FM Harold Wanyama UGA 2117 4 6 IM Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo MAD 2378 4 7 IM David Silva ANG 2423 4 8 IM Chitumbo Mwali ZAM 2276 3½ 9 FM Jemusse Zhemba ZIM 2140 3 10 FM Bomo Lovet Kigigha NGR 2292 3 Complete final standings The women’s event was a very close affair with a dramatic ending. Going into the final round as the sole leader with 4.5/5, the top seed Shahenda Wafa was a half-point ahead of Lina Nassr of Algeria and needed just a draw. However, the highly motivated Algerian, who was in a must-win situation, gradually outplayed the leader and reached a winning position: Shahenda Wafa – Lina Nassr After natural 67… Ke5 68. Kc6 Ke6 69. b6 Rc1+ 70. Kb7 Kd7 71. Ka7 Rb1 72. b7 Kc7 Lina would have won White’s pawn and the title. However, she hastily played 67… Rc1+?? but after 68. Kd6! Rd1+ 69.Kc4 Ke2 70.b4 Ke3 71. Kc6 Ke5 72. b5 Rc1+ 73. Kd6, etc. Shahenda Wafa (pictured below) reached a draw and clinched gold. Meanwhile, WFM Ednasia Junior of Angola scored a crucial victory over Peace Samson from Nigeria and caught up with Lina Nassr. The silver medal went to the Angolan thanks to a slightly better Buchholz, while the Algerian had to settle for bronze. Final standings: 1 WGM Shahenda Wafa EGY 2006 5 2 WFM Ednasia Junior ANG 1911 4½ 3 WIM Lina Nassr ALG 1933 4½ 4 WFM Sasha Mongeli KEN 1806 4 5 Nadezhda Marochkina SEN 1985 4 6 Peninah Nakabo UGA 1768 3½ 7 Peace Samson NGR 1935 3½ 8 Linda Dalitso Shaba ZIM 1783 3½ 9 WCM Marie Yavo Tchetche CIV 1663 3 10 Aina Mahasambatra Tsinjoviniavo MAD 1558 3 Complete final standings Official website: accra2023.fide.com/ Official sponsor: Riyadh Season Riyadh Season is an official partner of FIDE at the 13th African Games in Accra. Riyadh Season is one of the world’s largest annual winter entertainment festivals located in Saudi Arabia, it welcomes millions of visitors every year who get to experience a variety of exciting surprises, events, and music concerts. Additionally, it hosts international activities and events that draw in world-renowned stars in sports such as boxing, tennis, and football. The festivities capture the essence of Saudi heritage and hospitality and it showcases its present-day vibranism. For more information about Riyadh season, visit: riyadhseason.com
13th African Games: Egypt wins Mixed Team Rapid
The chess programme of the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana, kicked off with the Mixed Team Rapid Championship, a 6-round Swiss tournament with 15 min + 10 sec time control that attracted teams from 18 countries. Each team consisted of two chess players, featuring one man (first board) and one woman (second board). As many expected, it all came down to the race of the rating favorites, although both top and second seeds, Egypt and Algeria, stumbled at the start: the Pharaohs drew with Uganda in Round 1, while the Algerians fell to South Africa (0.5-1.5) in Round 2. Unfazed, Egypt whitewashed their opponents in Rounds 2-4 and grabbed the lead with 7/8, closely followed by Madagascar, Algeria and Angola, all on 6/8. The match Egypt – Algeria in Round 5 (arguably the most important one for both teams) ended in a draw, but Madagascar and Angola also split points facing each other. Going into the final sixth round as the sole leader, Egypt won both games vs Nigeria and clinched the title with 10/12. Egypt’s (GM Bassem Amin and WGM Shahenda Wafa) gold is well-deserved. The Pharaohs became the only unbeaten team in the competition, with Bassem Amin (pictured below) winning all his six games. Algeria (IM Adlane Arab and WIM Lina Nassr) prevailed over Angola and took silver, netting 9/12. In the match for last place on the podium, Madagascar and South Africa exchanged blows and drew, which favored the eighth seed Malagasies (IM Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo and Aina Mahasambatra Tsinjoviniavo), who won bronze thanks to a greater number of game points. Final standings: 1 Egypt 10 2 Algeria 9 3 Madagascar 8 4 South Africa 8 5 Angola 7 6 Nigeria 7 7 Botswana 7 8 Zambia 7 9 Ivory Coast 6 10 Mozambique 6 Official website: accra2023.fide.com/ Official sponsor: Riyadh Season Riyadh Season is an official partner of FIDE at the 13th African Games in Accra. Riyadh Season is one of the world’s largest annual winter entertainment festivals located in Saudi Arabia, it welcomes millions of visitors every year who get to experience a variety of exciting surprises, events, and music concerts. Additionally, it hosts international activities and events that draw in world-renowned stars in sports such as boxing, tennis, and football. The festivities capture the essence of Saudi heritage and hospitality and it showcases its present-day vibranism. For more information about Riyadh season, visit: riyadhseason.com
Nodirbek Abdusattorov wins Prague Chess Festival Masters
The Prague International Chess Festival 2024, featuring the Masters, Challengers and Futures tournaments, is in the books. The most prestigious Masters event saw the triumph of Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who came out on top with an excellent score of 6.5/9. The 19-year old Uzbek GM took the lead after Round 5 and never gave it up, despite suffering a defeat in the next round. Nodirbek had his most important test in the penultimate round clash with Parham Maghsoodloo. Abdusattorov passed it with flying colors, prevailing in a tense battle and clinching the title with a round to spare. “I’m very tired, obviously, but at the same time, very happy to win this tournament. It’s a huge achievement for me and my career, the tournament was, in general, one of my best,” Nodirbek expressed his delight right after the final move and also praised his opponent. “He’s a great fighter, always fighting. But while creating chances for himself, he opens some for opponents as well. As many times earlier in our games, some crazy things happen. So I was hoping for that,” smiled the winner of the Masters. Nodirbek gained 15 rating points and reached fourth place in the world live rating, ahead of the reigning world champion Ding Liren. He also moved to the top position in the 2024 FIDE Circuit. GMs Nguyen Thai Dai Van (CZE), Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) and Praggnanandhaa R (IND) finished on 5/9, with the local player and the Iranian taking second and third places, respectively, based on this trio’s direct encounters. Finas standings Masters Another chess prodigy, Ediz Gurel of Turkey, emerged as the winner of the Challengers, netting 6.5/9. Jaime Santos Latasa from Spain finished a half-point behind, while Erwin L’ami (NED) came third thanks to a superior Sonneborn-Berger over Abhimanyu Mishra (USA). Final standings Challengers The fifth seed Aansh Nandan Nerurkar (IND) dominated the Futures tournament scoring impressive 8/9 and finishing 1.5 points ahead of the runner-up Pawel Brzezina (POL). Final standings Futures Photos: Anezka Kruzikova and Petr Vrabec Official website: praguechessfestival.com/en/2024