LOUIS Kara of Rising Star Chess Club emerged as the overall winner of the Tanzania National Chess Championship held over the weekend at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam.

Kara topped the 9-round Swiss-pairing format event by scoring 7.5 points, outplaying a field of over 20 participants. 

The FIDE-rated championship, which was open only to Tanzanian citizens, featured both Open and Women’s categories with a time control of 60 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move.

According to Tanzania Chess Association (TACA) Information Officer, Mussa Mangula, the tournament was a significant step forward for the sport in the country.

In the Open category, Kilasa Masambo from Don Bosco Chess Club finished second with 7.0 points, while his clubmate Shadreck Lusako came third with 6.5 points. 

Emmanuel Mwaisumbe and Veer Gandhi secured the fourth and fifth positions with 5.5 and 5.0 points, respectively.

In the Women’s category, Women Candidate Master (WCM) Mahi Shah claimed the top spot with a perfect 9.0 score. Siya Lissa secured second place with 8.0 points, while WCM and defending champion Anahi Shah came third with 6.5 points. 

Neema Kisanga and Bertha Mkunde completed the top five with 6.5 and 5.0 points, respectively.

Mangula described the championship as a success and an important milestone in promoting chess in Tanzania, particularly at the grassroots level.

“The championship reflected the growth of chess in the country, especially with the impressive participation of women. As TACA, we extend our gratitude to all sponsors and encourage continued support to further develop the game nationwide,” said Mangula.

Women participants represented various clubs, including Upendo Friends Club, Rising Star, and Don Bosco Chess Club.

The top five winners in each category were awarded cash prizes. In the Open category: 1st place: TZS 500,000; 2nd place: TZS 400,000; 3rd place: TZS 300,000; 4th place: TZS 200,000 and 5th place: TZS 100,000.

In the Women’s category: 1st place: TZS 250,000; 2nd place: TZS 200,000; 3rd place: TZS 150,000; 4th place: TZS 100,000 and 5th place: TZS 80,000.

The championship was officiated by FIDE Arbiter (FA) Mustafa Ibrahim, assisted by National Arbiter (NA) Kaushi Shah.

Mangula highlighted that TACA has been proactive in organizing several tournaments this year. Earlier, in collaboration with Flashnet, the association hosted the Open Rapid Chess Championship, which attracted over 30 players.

In a previous interview, Mangula emphasized that the successful organization of such events reflects TACA’s strong commitment to improving the sport.

“Thirty-three players from across Tanzania, including 15 rated players and one international participant from Kenya, took part in a tightly contested eight-round rapid tournament with a 30+10 second time control. The event marked the beginning of many more planned tournaments this year,” he said.

That particular tournament saw a three-way tie for first place, resolved by Buchholz tiebreaks. Albert Njau emerged as champion, with Julius Rosenhan finishing second and Gokulraam Sankar taking third. Allan Richard Matollo finished fourth with 6 points.

In the women’s section, Anahi Rishit Shah won with 5 points, followed by Lissa Siya Joseph (4.5 points) and Neema Adam Kisanga (4 points). Both Anahi and Lissa represented Tanzania at the Chess Olympiad held in Budapest in September last year.

The championship also recognized two outstanding junior players: Chael Nouidui (boys) and Harini Doshi (girls) for their promising performances.