Ugandan youngsters put up a dominating display in Kenya to win the 2019 Zone 4.4 Youth U16 Team Chess Championship.
In an event played at Luke Hotel, Nairobi, Uganda garnered 6 points out of the available seven. The team, composed of Sharif Ssenabulya, Mathew Mwase and siblings Victor Kanyike and WCM Maria Nakanyike were unstoppable and deservedly clinched the championship.
Uganda won their first five games with much ease and despite losing 3-1 to Tanzania in the penultimate round; the youngsters were declared clear champions following another enviable performance against South Sudan in the final round.
The side coached by Farouk Fauza Kizza beat South Sudan 3-1 to make sure that they returned home with a Gold medal.
Individually, Mwase was the best player in the team. The rated 1353, playing on board four won all his seven games. Not only did that performance make him the best on board four, Mwase ended the tournament as the overall best player.
Kanyike with 4.5 points came 11th in the overall rankings, Nakanyike 18th with 3.5 and Ssenabulya 21st with 3.5 points. Substitute Janice Mubiru Namiiro played just one game and therefore was not graded.
Kenya (Stormy Knights) came second with five points winning silver while Kenya (Blitzkrieg) completed the podium places with four points. The Blitzkrieg tied points with Tanzania, Kenya (MSA1) and Kenya (Nacha Sports Academy) but won bronze on a tiebreak.
