Finest junior chess players selected
More than 100 players participated in the annual Namibian Closed Junior Championships on 25 and 26 June.
The youngest player was five years old.
The championships were held to select a junior team to participate in the African Junior Chess Championships, which will take place in Port Elizabeth, South Africa from 21 to 29 August.
Namibian Chess Federation (NCF) president Otto Nakapunda told Nampa that the level of competition was very high.
The tournament consisted of boys’ and girls’ sections with each section consisting of seven age groups.
The winners of the different age groups will battle it out later this year for the crown of Namibian junior chess champion.
The juniors played open matches in Walvis Bay before coming to Windhoek to play the qualifiers for the African Championships.
“Before, we only had players from Windhoek winning, but now we have players from Keetmanshoop, Otjiwarongo and the coast competing and winning, and this shows we are on the right track,” Nakapunda said.
NCF public relations officer Rauho Shipindo agreed that the competition was tough, and the winners deserved it.
“We are confident that a couple of our players will come back with trophies or medals and titles. Only two juniors in Namibia have titles - Candidate Master Dante Beukes and Women Candidate Master Nicola Tjaronda,” Shipindo said.
The federation is appealing for sponsorship to help send the team to the African championships.
There were only three girls in the U-18 age group and only one in the U-20 group.
The federation combined the two age groups, hence there is no U-18 result.
The winners in the Namibian Closed Junior Championships are:
Boys:
Under-8 - Antony Alter
Under-10 - Alexander Bertelsmann
Under-12 - Gavin Briers
Under-14 - Candidate Master Dante Beukes
Under-16 - Hafeni Angala
Under-18 - Clifton Ameb
Under-20 - Montgomery Gurirab
Girls
Under-8 - Alicia Basson
Under-10 - Ida du Toit
Under-12 - Bronwyne Brown
Under-14 - Nazneen Gaoses
Under-16 - Gillian Gomes
Under-20 - Zaree Katjipuka
NAMPA
The youngest player was five years old.
The championships were held to select a junior team to participate in the African Junior Chess Championships, which will take place in Port Elizabeth, South Africa from 21 to 29 August.
Namibian Chess Federation (NCF) president Otto Nakapunda told Nampa that the level of competition was very high.
The tournament consisted of boys’ and girls’ sections with each section consisting of seven age groups.
The winners of the different age groups will battle it out later this year for the crown of Namibian junior chess champion.
The juniors played open matches in Walvis Bay before coming to Windhoek to play the qualifiers for the African Championships.
“Before, we only had players from Windhoek winning, but now we have players from Keetmanshoop, Otjiwarongo and the coast competing and winning, and this shows we are on the right track,” Nakapunda said.
NCF public relations officer Rauho Shipindo agreed that the competition was tough, and the winners deserved it.
“We are confident that a couple of our players will come back with trophies or medals and titles. Only two juniors in Namibia have titles - Candidate Master Dante Beukes and Women Candidate Master Nicola Tjaronda,” Shipindo said.
The federation is appealing for sponsorship to help send the team to the African championships.
There were only three girls in the U-18 age group and only one in the U-20 group.
The federation combined the two age groups, hence there is no U-18 result.
The winners in the Namibian Closed Junior Championships are:
Boys:
Under-8 - Antony Alter
Under-10 - Alexander Bertelsmann
Under-12 - Gavin Briers
Under-14 - Candidate Master Dante Beukes
Under-16 - Hafeni Angala
Under-18 - Clifton Ameb
Under-20 - Montgomery Gurirab
Girls
Under-8 - Alicia Basson
Under-10 - Ida du Toit
Under-12 - Bronwyne Brown
Under-14 - Nazneen Gaoses
Under-16 - Gillian Gomes
Under-20 - Zaree Katjipuka
NAMPA
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