(Press release courtesy of Uganda Chess Federation)
FM Elijah Emojong is now almost certain of making it on Uganda’s Olympiad bound team for the first time after notching 7.5 points out of a possible 8, 2 full points ahead of his closest challengers in the Qualifiers raging on at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel in Rubaga.
To get to 7.5 points, Emojong won his seventh and eighth round games against Olympian Harold Wanyama and Daniel Baagadde respectively.
Following closely are Wanyama and Rajab Kamoga at 5.5 points each. Kamoga lost to Farouk Fauza in the seventh round but recovered to beat Micheal Mawanda in the eighth while Wanyama edged Vianney Luggya in the eighth round.
In other games, CM Patrick Kawuma who has closed in on the leaders at 5 points drew with Bob Bibasa in the morning and later beat ex Olympian Kenneth Kakooza in the afternoon.
Nsubuga Haruna is at 4.5 points after he beat Kakooza in the morning but fell at the hands of Fauza in the afternoon.
Ex Olympian Shadrack Kantinti drew with Luggya in the morning but was at the time of filing this report slugging it out with his compatriot Bibasa in a tricky Bishop and Rook ending in which Kantinti had an advanced Pawn on the sixth rank threatening to Queen.
Men’s Standings After Round 8:
- FM Elijah Emojong – 7.5 points (out of 8)
- Rajab Kamoga – 5.5 points
- Harold Wanyama – 5.5 points
- CM Patrick Kawuma – 5 points
- Haruna Nsubuga – 4.5 points
- Farouk Fauza – 4 points
- CM Bob Bibasa – 4.5 points
- Kenneth Kakooza – 3.5 points
- Shadrack Kantinti – 3 points
- Daniel Bagaadde – 2.5 points
- Vianney Luggya – 1.5 points
- Micheal Mawanda – 1 point
NB The above standings are exclude the result between Bibasa and Kantinti’s eighth round game which was still ongoing at the time of filing this report.
The games continue with ninth and tenth rounds on Sunday 6 May 2012 ending on Saturday 12 May 2012. The top four will make it to Uganda’s men’s team to join National Chess Champion, Arthur Ssegwanyi.
In the ladies category, Olympian Ivy Amoko shot to the top at the same number of points (6) with early pace setter Goretti Angolikin and Phiona Mutesi after she beat Joan Nakimuli and Angolikin drew with Phiona Mutesi.
The full ladies results for the seventh and eighth rounds are as follows:
Round 7
- Mutesi Phionah (1) – (0) Kanayiwa Irene
- Angolikin Goretti (0) – (1) Namaganda Christine
- Babirye Stella (0) – (1) Nsubuga Ritah
- Wanja Deborah (0) – (1) Amoko Ivy Claire
- Nakimuli Joan (1) – (0) Nakayima Vanessa
- Nansubuga Gloria (0) – (1) Kenyangye Cathy
Round 8
- Kanayiwa Irene (0) – (1) Kenyangye Cathy
- Nakayima Vanessa (0) – (1) Nansubuga Gloria
- Amoko Ivy Claire (1) – (0) Nakimuli Joan
- Nsubuga Ritah (1) – (0) Wanja Deborah
- Namaganda Christine (1) – (0) Babirye Stella
- Mutesi Phionah (0.5) – (0.5) Angolikin Goretti
Ladies’ Standings After Round 8:
- Amoko Ivy Claire – 6 points (out of 8)
- Angolikin Goretti – 6 points
- Mutesi Phionah – 6 points
- Nsubuga Ritah – 6 points
- Namaganda Christine – 5.5 points
- Babirye Stella – 4.5 points
- Kenyangye Cathy – 4 points
- Nakimuli Joan – 3.5 points
- Wanja Deborah – 3 points
- Nansubuga Gloria – 3 points
- Kanayiwa Irene – 0.5 point
- Nakayima Vanessa – 0 points