JULIUS Rosenham emerged victorious in the recently concluded Chess Rapid Tournament, held at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

The event, organized by the Tanzania Chess Association (TACA) in collaboration with various stakeholders, attracted a competitive field of players, including titled participants and Olympiad national representatives.

Nurdian Hassuji, an official from TACA, described the tournament as thrilling and highly competitive. 

Veer Gandhi and Albert Njau finished in second and third place, respectively, while Gokulraaam Sankar secured fourth position.

Hassuji expressed gratitude to Bakhresa Group for its support and praised all players for their participation. He highlighted the impressive performance of Njau, who showcased exceptional skills in the eight-round battle.

“A total of more than 20 players from various backgrounds and skill levels took part in the event. We are especially pleased with the level of competition and the outstanding display of talent,” said Hassuji.

The tournament was part of a series of events organized by TACA to promote chess in Tanzania. Hassuji called on more sponsors to support the sport’s growth in the country.

TACA Information Officer Mussa Mangula reaffirmed the association’s commitment to developing chess, noting that recent tournaments have drawn both local and international players. 

He cited a previous event, organized in partnership with Flashnet, which attracted 30 participants and was deemed a great success.

“The success of these tournaments reflects the dedication of TACA’s leadership in advancing chess in Tanzania,” said Mangula.

The competition was officiated by FIDE Arbiter (FA) Mustafa Ebrahim and National Arbiter (NA) Kaushi Shah.

In the men’s category, the top three finishers all secured 6.5 points: Champion - Albert Njau; Runner-up - Julius Rosenham; Third place - Gokulraaam Sankar and Fourth place - Allan Richard Matollo (6 points)

In the women’s category, two national team players, who represented Tanzania at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest last September, dominated the standings.

The winner was Anahi Rishit Shah (5 points), runner-up was Lissa Siya Joseph (4.5 points) and third place was Neema Adam Kisanga (4 points).

The tournament also recognized two top junior players for their outstanding performances:

·         Male: Chael Nouidui

·         Female: Harini Doshi

With such competitive events, TACA continues to strengthen the chess scene in Tanzania, providing local players with more opportunities to showcase and refine their skills.