Eleven-year Ian Murara Urwintwari left the country on Tuesday to compete at the World Youth Chess Championship, scheduled for December 18-29 in Dubai.Murara qualified for the world championships last month after dominating a U-15 national event held at Greenwich Hotel, which attracted eight players.

The Rwanda Chess Federation vice chairman, Kevin Ganza, told TimesSport on Wednesday that Murara, who will compete in the U-12 category, left for Dubai in the company of his father Manzi Murara.The youngster, a senior one student at Green Hills Academy, was due to play his first game on Wednesday. Ganza said: "The federation has sent one chess player to represent the country in the World Youth Chess Championship in Dubai.”The competition has attracted teams from 114 countries in both girls and boys categories in the age groups of Under-8, U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18. Other regional countries that are taking part in the 11-day tournament are Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and Sudan.National event top 5: Ian Murara    11 yearsLayola Murara        10 years Noella D. Karenzi      12 yearsChristelle Uwamahoro      9 yearsKevin Ikuzwe     10 years