The 2022 Uganda National Junior Chess Championships concluded over the weekend with over ten Juniors confirming their places on the national team ahead of two international events that are set to happen later this year.
The event that was held in Kiwatule Recreation Center ended on Saturday with 17-year-old Benjamin Netanyahu Ajiri emerging as the overall winner.
Ajiri garnered 7.5 points after winning seven of the nine rounds. The teenager tied points with four other players but emerged champion on a tie-break.
In the girls’ category, 15-year-old Patricia Kawuma took home the champions trophy. Like Ajiri, the Olympiad won on a tie-break after tying points with three other girls.
Despite losing two games, her 6 wins were good enough for gold.
Ajiri and Kawuma have now qualified for the Africa Junior Chess Championships U-20 as the national Juniors doubled as a qualifier. The Africa Juniors will be held in Algeria between 12th and 20th November.
The other winners included Nygaard Ajiri and Caroline Babirye in the U-15 section, Arthur Mwase and Tatiana Zuri in the U-13 category.
Kennedy Mugisha and Olivia Mukaya in the U-11, Kizito Jaden Mubiru and Aine Atubet in the U-9 and Jeffrey Mara and Talia Atubet in the U-7 section.
The ten have also confirmed their places in the national team for the Africa School Individual Chess Championships due in December in Monrovia, Liberia.
The official national team slots are for the respective winners only meaning Edwin Pido, Matthew Mwase, and Maria Nakanyike.
Elvis Mugisha and Vincent Buwule, some of the pre-tournament favourites miss out on automatic qualification.
But there’s still hope for them as every category will be allowed to field up to five players in the continental showpiece.
