Today: Round 11

Women: Rwanda vs Kuwait

Layola Murara Umuhoza vs Etedal Almeraj (1062)                         

Joselyne Uwase (1551) vs Shahad Alraqum (1458)             

Aline Niyonsaba vs WCM Amenah Alawadhi (1374)         

Christelle Uwamahoro vs Fatemah Alzahraa Baqer (1173)

Open: Bermuda vs Rwanda

Richard Black (2218) vs Fidele Mutabazi (1818)     

Serguei Gontcharov (1875) vs CM Maxence Murara (1789)

CM Sami Lill (1844) vs Ian Murara Urwintwari (1677)                               

Don Dacres (1780) vs Alain Patience Niyibizi (1756)

Rwanda’s Women and Open teams today, Friday, meet relatively stronger Kuwait and Bermuda opponents, respectively, in the final round 11 of the 43rd Chess Olympiad 2018 in Batumi, Georgia.

Rwanda’s women who have 13.5 points after round 10, face the Kuwaitis with 16 points.

Youngsters Layola Murara Umuhoza and newly crowned Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Joselyne Uwase (1551), both 15, take charge of board one and two, respectively.

READ ALSO: Uwase tames Tz’s Bertha to earn WFM title

Odile Kalisa is rested with the other only senior player on the team, Aline Niyonsaba, set to battle with WCM Amenah Alawadhi (1374) on board three.

These will be entertaining matches to watch as the kids on the team have nothing to lose after having put in a fairly good performance in the past 10 rounds, despite the absence of reigning national champion, 15-year old Sandrine Uwase, who did not travel with the team.

Rested on Wednesday, Joselyne – Sandrine’s neighbor and friend from Gikondo – has won six in eight of the first 10 rounds. It is the first time she is playing in a big tournament outside Rwanda.

Whatever the case is, the young girls gained the much needed big stage experience and, on return, will inspire others.

Umuhoza who had encounters on board one and two depending on team formations during earlier rounds, is playing at an Olympiad for the second time. She first played as a 10-year-old, along with her dad, CM Maxence Murara, at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, Norway.

She has managed two wins and a draw in eight games in the tournament so far.

Uwamahoro, 14, an Olympiad debutante, who is a reserve player, has registered three wins in five games so far.

Team Rwanda players arrived at the tournament venue, the Sport Palace, late and missed round 1.

The Open team, with 10.5 points faces Bermuda which has 13.5 points. In the last round, Joseph Nzabanita is rested.

The only teen on the team, Ian Murara Urwintwari, 16, has so far managed two wins and one draw.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw