Namibia narrowly misses Chess World Cup spot at Olympiad
Chess
Namibia's national chess team narrowly missed breaking into the top 100 at the World Chess Olympiad, falling short of securing a spot in the upcoming World Cup. However, they achieved a historic top 10 ranking in Africa, marking a significant milestone.
Namibia’s national chess teams, organised by the Namibia Chess Federation (NCF), recently competed in the 45th FIDE World Chess Olympiad, which concluded on Sunday in Budapest, Hungary.
The Open Section team made history by achieving Namibia's best-ever 101st-place finish, surpassing the previous record of 103rd from the last Olympiad. The team earned 11 points from five wins, one draw and five losses, while the competition’s overall winner, India, secured 21 points.
In the African standings, Namibia’s Open Section team ranked 10th, with Egypt leading the continent, earning 14 points and placing 39th overall.
In the Women’s Section, Namibia’s team earned 9 points (four wins, one draw and six losses), finishing in 130th place. India won the overall Women's Section with 19 points. Among African teams, Namibia ranked 19th, with Egypt again leading with 13 points and a 49th-place finish overall.
The Open Section team also secured two Candidate Master (CM) international titles from the competition, which were awarded to NCF president Goodwill Khoa and third-time lucky Max Nitzborn.
Open Section results
Namibia's reigning and two-time chess champion, FIDE Master-elect (FM) Heskiel Ndahangwapo, who earned the conditional title from the 2022 Chennai Olympiad, played on board one and secured 5.5 points from nine games in the Open Section.
Goodwill Khoa delivered the second-best result on board four with five points from nine games, followed by Nitzborn, who earned 3.5 points from seven games. On board two, Candidate Master (CM) Charles Eichab scored 4.5 points from 10 games, while debutant Bernhard Schwarz, playing on board three, secured 2.5 points from nine games.
Women’s Section Results
In the women’s section, Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Jolly-Joyce Nepando collected five points from nine games on board three. WCM Jamie-Nicole Beukes, on board two, secured five points from 10 games.
On boards four and five, Keisha van Wyk earned three points from nine games, while Kamutuua Tjatindi contributed two points from six games. Rauha Shipindo, playing on board one, scored three points from 10 games.
Competition highlights
The competition saw both Nepando and Heskiel step into the spotlight with impressive performances, positioning them on course for FM titles. Nepando scored five points from eight games but narrowly missed out on achieving the FM title after losing to WCM Cruz Bitia from Honduras in round 11.
Similarly, Heskiel, who holds a conditional FM title from the Chennai Olympiad, was on track to secure his official FM title. However, after drawing in round 11 against International Master (IM) Ortega Amarelle Mariano from Cape Verde, he now needs an additional 54 rating points to reach the required 2100 rating for the FM title.
Significant improvements
NCF vice president Emanuel Sihlahla shared his pride in the performance of both the male and female teams. “We are very proud of the team we sent. Both teams made us proud. We improved significantly, especially in Africa, where we moved into the top 10 for the first time ever. Last time, we were close to the 20th position, but now we've made great strides,” he noted.
He further highlighted the team's progress on the global stage, adding: “In the world rankings, we’ve also improved. Last time, we were 103rd, but now we are at 101. We hope to break into the top 100 in the next outing. Overall, the team’s performance has been excellent, and we are very proud of them.”
Sihlahla confirmed that the team is expected to land in the country at 17:00 today.
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The Open Section team made history by achieving Namibia's best-ever 101st-place finish, surpassing the previous record of 103rd from the last Olympiad. The team earned 11 points from five wins, one draw and five losses, while the competition’s overall winner, India, secured 21 points.
In the African standings, Namibia’s Open Section team ranked 10th, with Egypt leading the continent, earning 14 points and placing 39th overall.
In the Women’s Section, Namibia’s team earned 9 points (four wins, one draw and six losses), finishing in 130th place. India won the overall Women's Section with 19 points. Among African teams, Namibia ranked 19th, with Egypt again leading with 13 points and a 49th-place finish overall.
The Open Section team also secured two Candidate Master (CM) international titles from the competition, which were awarded to NCF president Goodwill Khoa and third-time lucky Max Nitzborn.
Open Section results
Namibia's reigning and two-time chess champion, FIDE Master-elect (FM) Heskiel Ndahangwapo, who earned the conditional title from the 2022 Chennai Olympiad, played on board one and secured 5.5 points from nine games in the Open Section.
Goodwill Khoa delivered the second-best result on board four with five points from nine games, followed by Nitzborn, who earned 3.5 points from seven games. On board two, Candidate Master (CM) Charles Eichab scored 4.5 points from 10 games, while debutant Bernhard Schwarz, playing on board three, secured 2.5 points from nine games.
Women’s Section Results
In the women’s section, Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Jolly-Joyce Nepando collected five points from nine games on board three. WCM Jamie-Nicole Beukes, on board two, secured five points from 10 games.
On boards four and five, Keisha van Wyk earned three points from nine games, while Kamutuua Tjatindi contributed two points from six games. Rauha Shipindo, playing on board one, scored three points from 10 games.
Competition highlights
The competition saw both Nepando and Heskiel step into the spotlight with impressive performances, positioning them on course for FM titles. Nepando scored five points from eight games but narrowly missed out on achieving the FM title after losing to WCM Cruz Bitia from Honduras in round 11.
Similarly, Heskiel, who holds a conditional FM title from the Chennai Olympiad, was on track to secure his official FM title. However, after drawing in round 11 against International Master (IM) Ortega Amarelle Mariano from Cape Verde, he now needs an additional 54 rating points to reach the required 2100 rating for the FM title.
Significant improvements
NCF vice president Emanuel Sihlahla shared his pride in the performance of both the male and female teams. “We are very proud of the team we sent. Both teams made us proud. We improved significantly, especially in Africa, where we moved into the top 10 for the first time ever. Last time, we were close to the 20th position, but now we've made great strides,” he noted.
He further highlighted the team's progress on the global stage, adding: “In the world rankings, we’ve also improved. Last time, we were 103rd, but now we are at 101. We hope to break into the top 100 in the next outing. Overall, the team’s performance has been excellent, and we are very proud of them.”
Sihlahla confirmed that the team is expected to land in the country at 17:00 today.
- [email protected]
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