From The Dusty Streets of The Ghetto to Baku…..! Our Greatest Knights Academy Legend ghetto solid player Zhemba Jemusse makes it into the Snr National Chess Team. Our Zimbabwe Man and Ladies teams are to take part in a ‘World Chess Jamboree’ in Baku – The Baku Chess Olympiad 2016. He is to inspire our Knights as well as all other Zim youngsters. Zhemba ‘man made of steel’ because of his aggressive play rose to fame in the period 2011 – 2014 playing for the Knights Chess Academy ‘dream team’ that included the then very young primary kids; Kudzai Mhandu, Alpha Simba Chaendera, Collins Mabodongwa. They dominated in High School Festivals to the amazement of people collecting silverware like Gokomere 2012 shield and Churchill 2013 shield.
Also inspiring the youths in The Ladies Snr National Team is a very young girl chess star Refiloe Mudodo still in Primary School a grade 5 pupil at Barnies Jnr Marondera.
Former World Chess Champion and best ever chess player Grand Master Gary Kimovich KASPAROV was born on April 13, 1963 in Baku. And this year his birthplace city hosts the biggest World Chess Team event The Chess Olympiad. Baku – capital of Azerbaidzhan which was one of the Soviet republics, and lies 1700 km south-east of Moscow, beyond the Caucasus Mountains. Baku with its population of about 2 million is a port on the shores of the Caspian Sea noted as one of the most important oil extracting and refining centres in the world: its history goes back to the 8th century. It has one of the mildest climates in this region covering Russia etc – above 0 degrees Celcius in January and between 25 – 30 degrees in July.
Meanwhile Mr Elton Mhangarayi (Zimbabwe Chess Federation) has announced the following Zimbabwe team for Baku:
Zimbabwe National Chess Team for Baku Chess Olympiad 2016
Open Section
Farai Mandizha
Rodwell Makoto
Elisha Chimbamu
Emarald Takudzwa Mushore
Zhemba Jemusse
Women Section
Colletta Wakuruwarewa
Valentine Pasipanodya
Refiloe Mudodo
Kudzanayi Charinda
Nomalungelo Mathe
The above have been successfully registered with the organizers of Baku Chess Olympiad.
Lets rally behind the team.
The Baku Chess Olympiad 2016 dates are 1 September to 14 September.