The final two rounds of qualifiers to select Rwanda’s flag bearers, in the open section, for the 44th Chess Olympiad are scheduled to be played on Sunday at the University of Rwanda’s Gikondo Campus – formerly SFB. At the end of the first four rounds last weekend, Rongin Munyurangabo, 19, continued to hold onto the top spot. Leading with 3.5 points, and unbeaten after four games, the up-and-coming chess star was the first player to seal his slot in the next round for the 2020 Chess Olympiad qualifiers after beating Eugene Kagabo in round 3 and sharing the spoils with Fidele Mutabazi in round 4. Round 5 on Sunday morning will be crunch time for most players because, after the final two rounds, only the top eight will qualify for the subsequent but tougher matches in the next round. In round 5, Munyurangabo will play with the black pieces against Elysee Tuyizere, who is third after four rounds and also looking to progress. The next phase of qualifiers is scheduled for March when qualifiers in the women’s category will also start. The final phase of qualifiers in both sections will be played in May. The Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament bringing together teams from all over the world. The 2020 edition will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, from August 5 to 18. At the 2018 Olympiad in Georgia, Rwanda was represented by ten players – five in Open Section and five in Women’s Section – where two youngsters in the women’s category earned titles; Woman FIDE Master (WFM) and Woman Candidate Master (WCM) titles. Joselyn Uwase, then aged 15, secured the WFM title, making her the most decorated Rwandan in world chess ranks.
