Chess Olympiad 2018: It’s do-or-die against Tanzania as Uwase eyes WFM title

Thursday, October 04, 2018

James Karuhanga

Sensational youngster Joselyne Uwase eyes a sixth victory at the ongoing 43rd Chess Olympiad today, which would earn her the Woman FIDE Master (WFM) title. Courtesy

Today: Round 10

Women: Rwanda vs Tanzania

Layola Murara Umuhoza vs Asha Kondo

Joselyne Uwase (1551) vs Bertha Samson

Aline Niyonsaba vs Zahabiyah Ebrahim (1217)

Christelle Uwamahoro vs Navini Choudary

Open: Rwanda vs Cape Verde

Fidele Mutabazi (1818) vs Antonio Monteiro (1877)

Joseph Nzabanita (1849) vs Eder Pereira (1781)

Ian Murara Urwintwari (1677) vs Luis Barros (1774)

Alain Niyibizi (1756) vs Luis Fernandes (1654)

It will be a tricky do-or-die round 10 encounter as youngster Joselyne Uwase, 15, battles Tanzania’s Bertha Samson this afternoon in search for the Woman FIDE Master (WFM) title at the 43rd Chess Olympiad 2018 in Batumi, Georgia.

There will be a final round on Friday but, as they say, the early bird gets the worm, and Uwase stands a better chance today as Tanzanians are not invincible opponents instead of waiting for the unknown tomorrow.

Rwanda chess federation president, Kevin Ganza, told Times Sport in a telephone interview from Gergia, that Uwase’s chances are high as "she has capabilities to win all her remaining games.”

But no one doubts the fact that a win today would save her from the final round's high tension on Friday.

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) on Monday confirmed the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title to the young Olympiad debutante from Gikondo, a Kigali suburb, after the seventh round.

Team Rwanda missed round one of games last week.

In an Olympiad, a 50 percent winning rate in a minimum seven games earns a player the WCM, or CM title for men whereas a 65 percent rate in 9 games bags the higher WFM or FM.

After round 8 win on Tuesday, her performance stood was 62.5 percent.

The teenager was rested when her team played Mozambique on Wednesday so that she could recharge her batteries.

The women squad goes into round 10 with 10.5 points while Tanzania’s women have 9.5 points. On Wednesday, when Uwase was resting, all her teammates lost their games against indomitable Mozambique.

The Open team has 8.5 points and faces a Cape Verde team with 10 points, today.

Despite losses on boards two and three on Wednesday, Rwanda’s Open team shared the spoils with the Central African Republic, CAR.

Fidele Mutabazi grabbed a walkover point when his opponent did not show up on board one while Alain Niyibizi edged Cedric Ngackossi-Ngoulaka on board four.

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