(Press release courtesy of Uganda Chess Federation)
Eng. FIDE Master (FM) Andrew Naimanye who holds the record for the highest chess rating in East Africa handed over a donation of one million Uganda Shillings (1,000,000/=) to the Uganda Chess Federation towards holding the 5th Edition of the Zabasajja Memorial Rapid Chess Championship set for Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th April 2012 at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel in Rubaga.
Eng. FIDE Master (FM) Andrew Naimanye (right) hands over a dummy cheque of shillings one million to Uganda Chess Federation (UCF) President, Vianney Luggya (left) towards sponsorship of the Zabasajja Memorial Rapid Chess Championship set for 14th – 15th April 2012 at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel.
“I was greatly inspired by the Late Willy Zabassajja’s heroics on the chess board and I hope upcoming Ugandan chess players could study and emulate Zabassajja’s complex chess combinations, style and gambits,” Eng. FM Naimanye stated (at a press conference) before handing over a cheque to the Uganda Chess Federation at National council of Sports Headquarters in Lugogo on the morning of Wednesday 4th April 2012.
The historic event is being held in memory of legendary Zabasajja, who is one of the strongest chess players Uganda has ever produced having won nine national chess championship titles during his time. He also made several stunning displays at the World Chess Olympiad at which he gallantly represented Uganda countless number of times.
On his part, the sponsor, FM Naimanye’s chess record rating of 2360 has never been surpassed in over twenty years.
The Uganda Chess Federation is highly grateful to Eng. FM Naimanye for his benevolent gesture that has enabled such an important chess competition to take place. The sponsorship is timely and crucial considering that the tournament is being held prior to the last phase of the Olympiad Qualifiers to be held on consecutive weekends of 28-29 April, 1, 5-6 and 12 May 2012.
The event’s defending champion is Simon Gonza and is expected to face stiff challenge from the likes of Harold Wanyama, Shadrack Kantinti, Elijah Emojong, Arthur Ssegwanyi, Bob Bibasa, Haruna Nsubuga and Patrick Kawuma among others.
There will be 8 rounds played in the Rapid Chess event in which each player will be allocated 50 minutes to complete their game. 4 rounds will be played every day. Rapid Chess slightly differs from conventional chess in that with Rapid tournaments each player is allocated fewer minutes as opposed to the conventional long chess game that can go on for between 4 to 6 hours. In the Zabasajja Memorial Rapid, the maximum time a single game will last will be 1 hour and 40 minutes.