Veterans and amateurs shine at GRIT festival

Windhoek became the chess battleground where 77 players, including seasoned veterans, rising talents and eager amateurs competed head-to-head at the 2024 GRIT October Chess Festival held at the Old Power Station Centre.

Players faced off in the round-robin, Swiss open and casual rapid sections – each offering a unique test of strategy and skill. With intense competition across all levels, the festival culminated in thrilling victories as players vied for top honours in their respective categories.



Round-robin winners

In the round-robin format, the country’s two-time and reigning champion, Candidate Master (CM) Heskiel Ndahangwapo, reigned supreme with an undefeated record of 4.5 points to clinch the overall title and a gold medal.

Reflecting on the competition, Ndahangwapo expressed satisfaction with his performance and further acknowledged the fight his contenders put up.

“I am specifically impressed with Junior Heita. It was a great performance from him. The draw with [fellow competitor] Bernhard Schwarz was fair, as we both missed crucial chances,” he noted.

In second and third place were Junior Heita and Jossy Uapingene who got three points each, with Heita awarded the silver medal based on the tiebreak criteria.



Swiss open winners

In the Swiss open section Lazarus Shatipamba demonstrated complete dominance, as he thrashed all challengers to clinch a perfect record of five points and a gold medal.

Shatipamba expressed delight over his flawless victory, admitting that he was surprised by his performance. “My goal for the event was just to score silverware, so I'm overjoyed to have been crowned as the champion,” he said.

The section’s runner-up was National Master (NM) Phillip Mootseng (four points) with NM Dudley Noreseb (three points) who settled for bronze.



Casual rapid winners

In the one-day casual rapid section, Eljero Snyder claimed first place with seven points to take the gold.

Sakaria Shiimbi took second place with 6 points to get a silver medal, followed by bronze winner, Pieter Hugo, in third with 5 points.

In the women’s section, Iyaloo Hamutumwa took top honours with 5.5 points to clinch the gold medal.

Reflecting on her achievement, Hamutumwa said she came intending to win and she feels happy to have won the tournament.

“I achieved the win because I train hard and listen to my coaches. My mother also supports me and goes everywhere with me. I love to play chess and had lots of fun competing,” she said.

Regarding her upcoming challenges, Hamutumwa said she looks forward to another GRIT tournament in November, the women’s chess challenge in December and the national qualifiers in January.

The section’s runner-up was Tanatswanashe Katsvara (silver, 4.5 points) followed by Kaino Moongo who placed in the bronze position with 4 points.

The Cadet section saw Anna Moongo emerge as the winner with 5 points, while Joshua Kamati (second, 4.5 points) and Firmino Johannes (4.5 points) rounded out the top three.



Outstanding players

One of the competition’s outstanding individual performances was Shadah Uanguta, who was named best women’s player.

Shadah said she is especially looking forward to competing at November’s FIDE World Cadet Chess Championship in Italy.

Other outstanding individuals included Pinehas Mweya who took home the best junior player title, Frederick Cronje who was honoured as the best cadet and Roman Cyprian who claimed the best madala award.

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