NCF selects top junior players for closed championships
Chess
Over 400 young chess players gathered at Windhoek Gymnasium last weekend for the junior open chess championships.
Namibia Chess Federation’s (NCF) annual Bank Windhoek National Junior Open Chess Championships were hosted last weekend at Windhoek Gymnasium. The competition aimed to choose the top eight players in the girls’ and open sections to advance to the junior closed championships in Swakopmund in May. Winners of the junior closed championships will be selected for the national team.
The top three winners across the under-8 to under-20 categories were:
U20 girls: 1 Helvi Shuudifonya, 2 Silvine Ruchelle Beukes; U20 open: 1 Eric Mowa, 2 Junior Nafimane Heita, 3 Jackson Ikumba; U18 girls: 1 Jamie-Nicole Beukes, 2 Selma Kayawala, 3 Helvi Shuudifonya; U18 open: 1 Sean Chembe, 2 Stefan Becker, Xavier Amutenya.
U16 girls: 1 Amelia Brown, 2 Caylee van Wyk, 3 Ehalondina Ekandjo; U16 boys: 1 Dawid du Toit, 2 Sibusiso Angula, 3 Shali Itembu; U14 girls: 1 Annalese Brown, 2 Kyllikki Sihlahla, 3 Ngusuta Tjiroze; U14 boys: 1 John van Zyl, 2 Pinehas Tangeni Mweya, 3 Kasonde Matthew Cohen.
U12 girls: 1 Shadah Uanguta, 2 Tanatswanashe Zendaya Katsvara, 3 Angelique Brown; U12 open: 1 James Diën, 2 Christiaan Cronje, 3 Shaun Kanelombe; U10 girls: 1 Iyaloo Hamutumwa, 2 Kaino Moongo, 3 Toini Leshini Tuyakula; U10 open: 1 Frederick Cronje, 2 Firmino Johannes, 3 Isak Christo van der Merwe; U8 girls: 1 Thea de Kock, 2 Alexa Yambeko Mapira, 3 Jolina Valentina Siremo; U8 open: 1 Lourens Swart, 2 Brave Uusiku, 3 Samuel Binneman.
Support chess
Speaking to Sport Wrap at the event, NCF acting president Berdian Beukes said the competition featured 430 players from various regions in the country. He further expressed gratitude to the event sponsors.
“We thank Bank Windhoek, our main sponsor. Let me also acknowledge [other sponsors who made this event possible], including the Namibia School Sport Union (NSSU), NamStyle, NamibMills and Windhoek Gymnasium for this wonderful facility to host the competition,” he said.
Beukes extended an invitation to interested sponsors to come on board and support chess.
School teams championships
The weekend also featured the annual Bank Windhoek School Teams Chess Championships, aimed at promoting the NCF’s Chess in Schools programme, improving the standard of junior chess in the country, and laying the groundwork for a national school chess league.
The school team champions were:
Academies: 1 Regicide Chess Academy A, 2 Rubinstein Chess Academy A, 3 Zandell Chess Academy A; Secondary Schools: 1 Windhoek High School, 2 Okahandja Senior Secondary School, 3 Duinesig High School; Primary Schools: 1 Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool A, 2 St. Paul’s Primary School A, 3 Windhoek Gymnasium A.
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The top three winners across the under-8 to under-20 categories were:
U20 girls: 1 Helvi Shuudifonya, 2 Silvine Ruchelle Beukes; U20 open: 1 Eric Mowa, 2 Junior Nafimane Heita, 3 Jackson Ikumba; U18 girls: 1 Jamie-Nicole Beukes, 2 Selma Kayawala, 3 Helvi Shuudifonya; U18 open: 1 Sean Chembe, 2 Stefan Becker, Xavier Amutenya.
U16 girls: 1 Amelia Brown, 2 Caylee van Wyk, 3 Ehalondina Ekandjo; U16 boys: 1 Dawid du Toit, 2 Sibusiso Angula, 3 Shali Itembu; U14 girls: 1 Annalese Brown, 2 Kyllikki Sihlahla, 3 Ngusuta Tjiroze; U14 boys: 1 John van Zyl, 2 Pinehas Tangeni Mweya, 3 Kasonde Matthew Cohen.
U12 girls: 1 Shadah Uanguta, 2 Tanatswanashe Zendaya Katsvara, 3 Angelique Brown; U12 open: 1 James Diën, 2 Christiaan Cronje, 3 Shaun Kanelombe; U10 girls: 1 Iyaloo Hamutumwa, 2 Kaino Moongo, 3 Toini Leshini Tuyakula; U10 open: 1 Frederick Cronje, 2 Firmino Johannes, 3 Isak Christo van der Merwe; U8 girls: 1 Thea de Kock, 2 Alexa Yambeko Mapira, 3 Jolina Valentina Siremo; U8 open: 1 Lourens Swart, 2 Brave Uusiku, 3 Samuel Binneman.
Support chess
Speaking to Sport Wrap at the event, NCF acting president Berdian Beukes said the competition featured 430 players from various regions in the country. He further expressed gratitude to the event sponsors.
“We thank Bank Windhoek, our main sponsor. Let me also acknowledge [other sponsors who made this event possible], including the Namibia School Sport Union (NSSU), NamStyle, NamibMills and Windhoek Gymnasium for this wonderful facility to host the competition,” he said.
Beukes extended an invitation to interested sponsors to come on board and support chess.
School teams championships
The weekend also featured the annual Bank Windhoek School Teams Chess Championships, aimed at promoting the NCF’s Chess in Schools programme, improving the standard of junior chess in the country, and laying the groundwork for a national school chess league.
The school team champions were:
Academies: 1 Regicide Chess Academy A, 2 Rubinstein Chess Academy A, 3 Zandell Chess Academy A; Secondary Schools: 1 Windhoek High School, 2 Okahandja Senior Secondary School, 3 Duinesig High School; Primary Schools: 1 Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool A, 2 St. Paul’s Primary School A, 3 Windhoek Gymnasium A.
- [email protected]
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