By YVONNE SAKALA and GWEN CHIPASULA –
DANIEL Jere has been crowned the 2016 Capablanca IM Norm champion after finishing with 6.5 points after nine rounds in the just ended championship in South Africa.
The Zambian chess gem finished half a point behind Richmond Phiri.
In the last round, Jere drew his last game against country mate Andrew Kayonde to scope the title.
Zambia’s IM Richmond Phiri came out second in the tournament after he amassed six points leaving South Africa’s Jong Calvin Klaasen to land on the third position on five points.
South Africa’s IM Donavan Van Den Heever came out fourth after collecting five points while Andrew Kayonde settled for the fifth position on five points.
IM Chitumbo Mwali of Zambia emerged sixth on the ranking on four points leaving Nigeria’s FM Daniel Anwuli coming out seventh on log on three points with Botswana’s Providence Oatlhotse coming out eighth on three points.
And in Chingola, Boniface Ng’onga was yesterday leading the Copperbelt Closed chess tournament with a perfect three points in a tournament playing at Nchanga Golf Club.
Ng’onga was however, sharing the top slot with a formidable opponent in Douglas Munenga whom he was to meet in the fourth round.
Defending champion Prince Mulenga was lagging behind the two by half-a-point and was lying in third position despite having a good start when he was leading after the opening two rounds.
Mulenga has two players with him on 2.5 points and these are Kasao Mpanga and Efford Chabala
Mulenga, who has been winner of this monthly tournament the last two times, said he will strive to retain the title.
Tournament director Kachinga Simbeye said the winner of the tournament will pocket K500 while second place pockets K400 while K300, K200 and K100 will go to those finishing in third, fourth and fifth places respectively.