13th African Games: Egypt rules supreme
/*! elementor – v3.19.0 – 28-02-2024 */ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px} 13th African Games Individual Rapid: Egypt clinch double gold /*! elementor – v3.19.0 – 28-02-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} The third and final day of the 13th African Games chess programme featured individual blitz championships (open and women) and a mixed team blitz event. It was another great day for team Egypt, which claimed two out of three gold medals awarded on March 11. In total, Bassem Amin and Shahenda Wafa collected five golds at the 13th African Games. The day started with individual blitz competitions open and women sections, 9-round Swiss events with 5 min + 3 sec time control. Bassem Amin, the only GM in the field, put in a very strong performance and won his third gold with an impressive 8/9. The second seed, IM Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo of Madagascar, gave the champion a good run for his money and also scored 8/9 but had to settle for silver after losing the direct encounter. FM Banele Mhango of South Africa pulled off a crucial final-round victory over IM Adlane Arab from Algeria and took bronze. Final standings Blitz Open Just like day before, the women’s blitz competition was a close race between WGM Shahenda Wafa (Egypt) and Lina Nassr (Algeria; pictured below, left) who came to the final round neck-to-neck on 7/8. Shahenda had a great chance for her third gold (as the winner of the direct encounter) but this time around fortune smiled on the Algerian. Wafa completely misplayed a superior position against Constance Mbatha of Zambia and lost, while Nassr achieved overwhelming advantage vs Jesse Nikki February of South Africa but offered a draw to secure the title. The 11th seed, Natalie Katlo Banda, produced a minor sensation and took bronze, netting 6/9. Final standings Women Blitz The mixed blitz tournament was the final chess competition of the 13th African Games. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich visited the event and made the first ceremonial move in the game Shahenda Wafa – Linda Dalitso Shaba. Given Egypt’s previous results in the 13th African Games, the Pharaohs entered the final event as the main favorites and delivered. The Egyptians started out of the gate, winning four straight matches, but in Round 5, they fell to Algeria. The Pharaohs bounced back by beating Angola and Ivory Coast but then dropped another point after drawing with Madagascar in the penultimate round. Algeria had a modest start, drawing three out of four matches, but after defeating the rating favorites in Round 5, they picked up steam and caught up with Egypt going to the final round. Both teams confidently won their matches and tied for first place with 15/18, but Egypt earned gold thanks to a greater number of game points. The same tiebreaker favored Nigeria, which shared third place with Angola but took bronze. Final standings Mixed Team Blitz Over a short closing ceremony, the FIDE President thanked the host country, organizers, arbiters and players, congratulated team Egypt and expressed his satisfaction with the competition: “Our joint efforts brought chess to better visibility and opened better prospects in the future…. The tournament was very intense, with so many games played over just a few days. The competition was amazing. In almost every category, it was not clear who would occupy the podium until the end of the last round. As many as seven teams won medals in this competition, which is great for chess development in Africa.” OFFICIAL PARTNER Riyadh Season is an official partner of FIDE at the 13th African Games in Accra. Riyadh Season is one of the world’s largest annual winter entertainment festivals located in Saudi Arabia, it welcomes millions of visitors every year who get to experience a variety of exciting surprises, events, and music concerts. Additionally, it hosts international activitiesand events that draw in world-renowned stars in sports such as boxing, tennis, and football. The festivities capture the essence of Saudi heritage and hospitality and it showcases its present-day vibranism. For more information about Riyadh season, visit: RIYADHSEASON.COM
13th African Games Individual Rapid: Egypt clinch double gold
/*! elementor – v3.19.0 – 28-02-2024 */ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px} 13th African Games Individual Rapid: Egypt clinch double gold /*! elementor – v3.19.0 – 28-02-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} Team Egypt continued to dominate the 13th African Games chess competitions, with Bassem Amin and Shahenda Wafa winning rapid open and women’s tournaments, respectively. The open event, a six-round Swiss tournament, saw the rating-favourite GM Bassem Amin and the ninth seed CM Donaldo Paiva of Mozambique get off to a great start, both winning three straight games. The co-leaders clash in Round 4 ended in a draw, but in Round 5, Bassem beat FM Jemusse Zhemba (Zimbabwe) and pulled away, as Donaldo suffered a defeat at the hands of FM Harold Wanyama of Uganda. Going into the final round a half-point ahead of Wanyama and a full point ahead of a group of four people, Amin made a quick draw with Gomolemo Rongwane from Botswana, but it was enough to clinch gold with 5/6. His main rival fell to Donaldo Paiva, who tied for second place with Adlane Arab of Algegia and deservedly took silver thanks to the direct encounter win. Final standings: 1 GM Bassem Amin EGY 2580 5 2 CM Donaldo Paiva MOZ 2162 4½ 3 IM Adlane Arab ALG 2415 4½ 4 FM Gomolemo Rongwane BOT 2085 4 5 FM Harold Wanyama UGA 2117 4 6 IM Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo MAD 2378 4 7 IM David Silva ANG 2423 4 8 IM Chitumbo Mwali ZAM 2276 3½ 9 FM Jemusse Zhemba ZIM 2140 3 10 FM Bomo Lovet Kigigha NGR 2292 3 Complete final standings The women’s event was a very close affair with a dramatic ending. Going into the final round as the sole leader with 4.5/5, the top seed Shahenda Wafa was a half-point ahead of Lina Nassr of Algeria and needed just a draw. However, the highly motivated Algerian, who was in a must-win situation, gradually outplayed the leader and reached a winning position: Shahenda Wafa – Lina Nassr After natural 67… Ke5 68. Kc6 Ke6 69. b6 Rc1+ 70. Kb7 Kd7 71. Ka7 Rb1 72. b7 Kc7 Lina would have won White’s pawn and the title. However, she hastily played 67… Rc1+?? but after 68. Kd6! Rd1+ 69.Kc4 Ke2 70.b4 Ke3 71. Kc6 Ke5 72. b5 Rc1+ 73. Kd6, etc. Shahenda Wafa (pictured below) reached a draw and clinched gold. Meanwhile, WFM Ednasia Junior of Angola scored a crucial victory over Peace Samson from Nigeria and caught up with Lina Nassr. The silver medal went to the Angolan thanks to a slightly better Buchholz, while the Algerian had to settle for bronze. Final standings: 1 WGM Shahenda Wafa EGY 2006 5 2 WFM Ednasia Junior ANG 1911 4½ 3 WIM Lina Nassr ALG 1933 4½ 4 WFM Sasha Mongeli KEN 1806 4 5 Nadezhda Marochkina SEN 1985 4 6 Peninah Nakabo UGA 1768 3½ 7 Peace Samson NGR 1935 3½ 8 Linda Dalitso Shaba ZIM 1783 3½ 9 WCM Marie Yavo Tchetche CIV 1663 3 10 Aina Mahasambatra Tsinjoviniavo MAD 1558 3 Complete final standings OFFICIAL PARTNER Riyadh Season is an official partner of FIDE at the 13th African Games in Accra. Riyadh Season is one of the world’s largest annual winter entertainment festivals located in Saudi Arabia, it welcomes millions of visitors every year who get to experience a variety of exciting surprises, events, and music concerts. Additionally, it hosts international activitiesand events that draw in world-renowned stars in sports such as boxing, tennis, and football. The festivities capture the essence of Saudi heritage and hospitality and it showcases its present-day vibranism. For more information about Riyadh season, visit: RIYADHSEASON.COM
13th African Games: Egypt wins Mixed Team Rapid
13th African Games: Egypt wins Mixed Team Rapid 13th African Games: Egypt wins Mixed Team Rapid The chess programme of the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana, kicked off with the Mixed Team Rapid Championship, a 6-round Swiss tournament with 15 min + 10 sec time control that attracted teams from 18 countries. Each team consisted of two chess players, featuring one man (first board) and one woman (second board). As many expected, it all came down to the race of the rating favorites, although both top and second seeds, Egypt and Algeria, stumbled at the start: the Pharaohs drew with Uganda in Round 1, while the Algerians fell to South Africa (0.5-1.5) in Round 2. Unfazed, Egypt whitewashed their opponents in Rounds 2-4 and grabbed the lead with 7/8, closely followed by Madagascar, Algeria and Angola, all on 6/8. The match Egypt – Algeria in Round 5 (arguably the most important one for both teams) ended in a draw, but Madagascar and Angola also split points facing each other. Going into the final sixth round as the sole leader, Egypt won both games vs Nigeria and clinched the title with 10/12. Egypt’s (GM Bassem Amin and WGM Shahenda Wafa) gold is well-deserved. The Pharaohs became the only unbeaten team in the competition, with Bassem Amin (pictured below) winning all his six games. Algeria (IM Adlane Arab and WIM Lina Nassr) prevailed over Angola and took silver, netting 9/12. In the match for last place on the podium, Madagascar and South Africa exchanged blows and drew, which favored the eighth seed Malagasies (IM Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo and Aina Mahasambatra Tsinjoviniavo), who won bronze thanks to a greater number of game points. Final standings 1 Egypt 10 2 Algeria 9 3 Madagascar 8 4 South Africa 8 5 Angola 7 6 Nigeria 7 7 Botswana 7 8 Zambia 7 9 Ivory Coast 6 10 Mozambique 6 OFFICIAL PARTNER Riyadh Season is an official partner of FIDE at the 13th African Games in Accra. Riyadh Season is one of the world’s largest annual winter entertainment festivals located in Saudi Arabia, it welcomes millions of visitors every year who get to experience a variety of exciting surprises, events, and music concerts. Additionally, it hosts international activitiesand events that draw in world-renowned stars in sports such as boxing, tennis, and football. The festivities capture the essence of Saudi heritage and hospitality and it showcases its present-day vibranism. For more information about Riyadh season, visit: RIYADHSEASON.COM
Chess to make an appearance at the 13th African Games in Accra
Chess to make an appearance at the 13th African Games in Accra In a seminal moment for the game, chess is set to be showcased among 23 sports at the 13th African Games, hosted by the Republic of Ghana from 8th to 23rd March 2024. The event will be held in the capital city of Accra, celebrating the spirit of unity and excellence across the African continent. “The inclusion of chess in this prestigious multi-sport event is a significant step in the international recognition of the game at big international sports competitions,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. Chess made its debut in the African Games in 2003, and it featured in all subsequent editions till 2015. The decision to include chess in the 13th edition was accepted by the Minister of Youth & Sports of the Republic of Ghana, reflecting the status of the game globally. “Upon my recent visit to Africa, I have seen great appetite for the game and interest from the public and the African government. To have chess included in one of the biggest sports events in Africa is wonderful. It reaffirms the place chess has as a sport in major sporting events and is a step closer to having chess present at the Olympic Games as the biggest global sports event,” said Grandmaster Nigel Short, FIDE’s Director for chess development. The 13th African Games will witness the participation of 24 countries in the chess tournament, with each country entitled to enter a team consisting of two chess players, comprising one man, one woman, and one captain. The formats will include the Mixed Team Rapid Championship, Men’s Rapid Championship, Women’s Rapid Championship, Mixed Team Blitz Championship, Men’s Blitz Championship, and Women’s Blitz Championship. The inclusion of chess in the African Games follows the success of reintroducing chess to the Asian Games, where competitions were held in individual and team tournaments in both the open and the women’s categories. The overarching goal of the 13th African Games is to foster positive rivalry among the youth of Africa, projecting a united Africa to the world. Beyond the sporting arena, the event aims to promote Africa’s rich art and culture, contributing to socio-economic development across the continent. OFFICIAL PARTNER Riyadh Season is an official partner of FIDE at the 13th African Games in Accra. Riyadh Season is one of the world’s largest annual winter entertainment festivals located in Saudi Arabia, it welcomes millions of visitors every year who get to experience a variety of exciting surprises, events, and music concerts. Additionally, it hosts international activitiesand events that draw in world-renowned stars in sports such as boxing, tennis, and football. The festivities capture the essence of Saudi heritage and hospitality and it showcases its present-day vibranism. For more information about Riyadh season, visit: RIYADHSEASON.COM