Chess in Schools 2016….Young Raw Talent emerging amazingly…!
First and foremost as Knights Chess Academy Zimbabwe we would like to thank and appreciate the very good noble work being undertaken by the Mr Madamombe led Zimbabwe Chess Foundation, a new respectable chapter in Zimbabwe Chess especially in Schools. Very new and timely sponsors, hats off! Now shortage of chess boards as well as chess clocks in many School chess tournaments is now a thing of the past. The Foundation is really understanding what is happening on the ground, and it appreciates the need to uplift our youngsters especially the mostly sidelined hi-density as well as very remote rural young chess players. After all raw talent is mostly in these disadvantaged areas. If all our Chess Leaders can stop to be greedy to the extend of depriving our innocent youngsters of the much needed chess equipment our chess talent can emerge amazingly…!
This winter on Saturday the 2nd of July 2016 Mupfurudzi Primary in Madziwa (between Mt Darwin and Bindura) in The Mashonaland Central region hosted a memorable tournament. Panashe Zimbili (in pic wearing green and gold colors) a grade 7 pupil at this rural school emerged victorious in The Masters Section which included some very tough boys and girls from Harare and surrounding areas.Thanks again to the new Foundation, they sponsored and made available the chess equipment and who said there is no chess in the rural remote areas! The 2003 born girl chess talent had 4.5/5 in a Masters Section comprising 21 tough boys and girls youngsters. 2nd was Midzi N with 4pts, 3rd was another incredibly rising raw talent Tadiwa Madaka of Alfred Beit Primary with 3.5pts. The other U10 Section was won by Anashe Murinda 4.5/5 of Alfred Beit.
A week after the Madziwa event on the 9th of July Alfred Beit held its Winter Festival another girl power was demonstrated! This time it was a Knights Girl Legend Rumbidzai Mawire who took the bacon home in The Masters section which had 20 sharp boys and girls. She had a perfect 4/4 dismissing very tough competition from Matthew Mhlanga of Twin Rivers primary (2nd with 3/4), and Tadiwa Madaka of Alfred Beit (3rd with 3/4). In the U12 Section with 55 boys and girls fighting for honors talented Takunda Mutyasira came 1st with a perfect 5/5 and our Knights Student and fast improving Warren Park 4 pupil Ryan Chigwengwe came an amazing 2nd with 4.5/5. Keep it up Ryan! Lastly in the other 3rd Section the U10 Section which had 42 razor sharp youngsters our very own Knights Academy Private One on One home student Tawananyasha Kunaka of Alex Park Primary (the son of Mr Matthew Kunaka, CEO of ICAZ) came incredibly 1st! Rufaro Mangwende of Twin Rivers (the school we also give group sessions) was 2nd. All tied at 4.5/5. Well done youngsters!
And on Saturday 16th of July Avondale Primary had its Winter Festival. The Alfred Beit raw talent Tadiwa Madaka won The Masters Section! Our Grade Twos at our Academy Tawana Mawire, Tinaye Madamombe (in pic standing), and John Chibvuri Jnr (in pic with Tinaye) are all participating in these events in the Masters Section…teaching them young!
Meanwhile on the High School Chess Tournament scene Zengeza 1 High as well as Zengeza 2 High have dominated in The Gokomere Festival and St Mary’s High Festivals. The annual Gokomere Chess Festival was held on the 18th of June 2016 and St Mary’s High Festival on the 9th of July. Zengeza 1 High came 1st at St Mary’s High Festival, Zengeza 2 High was 2nd. Is Zengeza High a chess powerhouse (led by young chess wizard Kudakwashe Zimbowa) emerging? Well, time is the master!
What happened in the Masvingo Province at Gokomere High on the 18th of June 2016?….
Zengeza 1 High school are the winners of the 2016 Gokomere chess festival which was held on the 18th of June at Gokomere High school in Masvingo. The team which was led by Kudakwashe Zimbowa who was on board one.The team won all the their five games , but the stiffest competition of the day was against the hosts Gokomere high school team A. Munyaradzi Zvidzai was on board one for the hosts and he lost the pulsating game against Kudakwashe Zimbowa. Kudzai Mhandu (Knights Chess Academy product) of Gokomere won his game on board two. Hebert Mhlanga of Zengeza 1 won his important game on board 3 and Theophilus Setete of Zengeza drew against Calvin Mukwena in the final round of the tourney to edge the hosts 2,5-1,5.
Gokomere high school had to settle for the second position in a start-studded field. There were 23 teams in the open section for boys with teams coming from as far as Mash Central like Bradley High school, Seke Mhuriimwe to name the schools which came from different provinces besides the ones in the hosting province, Masvingo .Bradley High school came third with 6 points out of 10 points. Zimuto High school team came fourth. Teams which came first to third got some medals, certificates and chess sets.Best players on boards one to four got some medals. Kudakwashe Zimbowa white washed all his opponents winning a gold medal and an individual certificate, Prowess Phiri of St. Antony won a silver medal on board 1, while Munyaradzi Zvidzai got a bronze medal and a certificate. On board 2 Kudzai Mhandu of Gokomere won a gold medal with a perfect score, while Louis Mandebvu of Dewure and Tinotenda Zirima of Silveira won silver and bronze respectively. On board 3 Hebert Mhlanga of Zengeza 1 High, Livingstone Chavakira of Gutu and Munashe Sharara won gold, silver and bronze respctively.
Finally on board four, Theophilus Setete of Zengeza 1 high school , Calvin Mukwena of Gikomere and Joseph Hwata won gold, silver and bronze respectively as well as certificates. Each participating school got a chess set in an effort to spread the game’s love to the schools as well as promoting its growth. Meanwhile in the girls section Mutendi High school won the section winning 4 games and drawing one game. They beat the leaders of the tourney in the last round Gutu High school to claim the first position of the tourney. Gutu High school came second followed by Mukaro High school.
In the girls section 20 teams took part. Edith Juru of Bradley high school was the best player on board one in the girls section with a perfect score demolishing all her opponents. Pauline Mukoni and Ruth Mangwengwe won silver and bronze respectively. On board two Tanaka Pawandiwa (Knights Chess Academy product), Everjoy Musikavanhu and Kudzai Bema won gold, silver and bronze respectively. On board three Tapiwa Mtemah of Gokomere High school was the star player with a perfect score to claim the coveted gold medal.Mildred Vunganai and Ruvimbo Nyawo won silver and bronze respectively. Ndomupeishe Mapengo was the best player on board four with a perfect score, followed by Kelly Mudoko of Mukaro high school and Natasha Man’ozho of Bradley High school. They won gold ,silver and bronze respectively.
The tournament Chief Arbiter was FA Chimbamu who was assisted by Masimba Mutakaya of Gokomere high school the host in charge of chess also being the provincial chess coach for Masvingo. "The level of chess is improving in schools and hope that one day Zimbabwe will have more International Masters and Grand Masters," were the remarks of the tournament Director. The tournament was Zengeza 1 ‘s first major win after coming second at Mazowe chess festival where they came second behind Mabvuku High school.
Next is Prince Edward Festival slated for the 30th of July 2016. There shall be the Snr Boys, Snr Girls as well as Jnr Sections and entry fee is $25 per team of 4. Lets continue supporting Chess in Schools and more talent shall emerge…. pen off.
