Namibia set for second World Cup appearance

For the second consecutive year, Namibia will compete in the prestigious Chess World Cup.

Namibia’s Open section team, organised by the Namibia Chess Federation (NCF), has been considered by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to participate in the 2025 Chess World Cup.

This follows their remarkable performance at the 45th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.

The team made up of two-time reigning national champion Candidate Master (CM) Heskiel Ndahangwapo, CM Charles Eichab, CM Goodwill Khoa, Bernhard Schwarz and CM Max Nitzborn, achieved the best results in Namibia's history at the Olympiad.

They secured an impressive 101st-place finish (99th country performance), surpassing the previous record of 103rd and earned a historic 10th place in the African standings. This remarkable achievement boosted their chances of breaking into the top 100, a key requirement for World Cup qualification.



Crucial lifeline

Although their bittersweet result left them just short of their goal, FIDE's World Cup qualification rule gave them a crucial lifeline. One of FIDE's key points states that “no federation can claim more than one spot, even if they fielded multiple teams.”

As a result, 29 teams ranked above Namibia were removed from the final standings, boosting Namibia's position to a comfortable 72nd out of the 80 teams selected for the Open section from the Olympiad, alongside 35 teams from the Women's section.

The remaining 20 spots will go to countries that faced limitations in qualifying for the Olympiad.

This marks the country’s second appearance at the Chess World Cup, following its debut last year with International Master (IM) Dante Beukes.



Chess World Cup representative

According to FIDE’s website, federations that have earned a spot in the Chess World Cup are expected to select one of their team members from the 2024 Olympiad to represent their country and confirm participation from 1 to 10 June next year.

Speaking to Sport Wrap about Namibia’s potential representative, Namibia Chess Federation (NCF) President Goodwill Khoa mentioned that they are still deliberating on the choice, with Heskiel Ndahangwapo currently leading the selection campaign.

“It will be between Heskiel [Ndahangwapo], Charles [Eichab] and myself as favourites.

"The federation hopes to send the reigning champion, but nothing is final yet. We need to confirm the decision with the team, as we want their full support in sending Heskiel. If there are any objections, we may hold playoffs to select the representative,” Khoa explained.



‘A force to be reckoned with’

Regarding Namibia’s back-to-back participation in the World Cup, Khoa emphasised that it reflects the nation’s growing strength in the chess world. “This shows that Namibia is now a force to be reckoned with. We’re no longer just participants—we’re competitors,” he stated.

Khoa also highlighted the federation’s goal of earning Grandmaster (GM) titles, noting the rarity of such achievements. “According to U.S. statistics, there are currently only four Black Grandmasters in the world. I’m confident that Namibia can contribute to this tally, potentially making it five or six,” he added.



Support from Government needed

However, Khoa stressed the need for greater government support, as the federation has largely relied on sponsorships and personal funds to participate in international events.

“A huge thank you to all our sponsors, especially Bank Windhoek, RMB Namibia, Mothlaping Investment CC and Three Dimension Printing CC, for making this possible. But we’re still hoping for government support, especially for the World Cup,” he emphasised.

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