By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

THE Chess Federation of Zambia (CFZ) will this weekend hold a three-day Heroes and Unity tournament at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka where all the nation’s top local players are expected to take part.
The usually high-sprung chess family has been left brooding after the federation’s tournament director, Aaron Banda announced that unlike last year, this year’s Heroes and Unity event would not be FiDE-rated.
What more pre-tournament hype could an event get that this championship coming just a day after the much-publicised elective annual general meeting (AGM), which will usher in a new executive.
Banda said the tournament, which normally runs for four days, would this year be played in three days over eight rounds instead of the standard.
“The Chess Federation of Zambia will hold the 2015 Heroes and Unity chess championship at Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka from Sunday 5th July to Tuesday 7th July,” he said.
The one day loss must obviously have been caused by the holding of the AGM today as directed by the Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) after the nation’s supreme sports authority cancelled the earlier one.
He said in addition to the main event the Championship section of the Heroes and Unity, the tournament will also incorporate the under-15-years category or both boys and girls .
Banda said the main event would be for the title of the 2015 Heroes and Unity chess champion while the age-group event will produce the 2015 nation under-15 champions in both the boys and girls categories.
“However, all the sections of this Heroes and Unity tournament will not be FiDE rated. Further, the tournament will be played over eight rounds using Swiss System and Sofia Rule shall apply from rounds eight and nine,” he said.
The Sofia Rule is a system where players can not agree to draw a match unless via a stalemate or allowed by the tournament arbiter if no other result is possible.
According to the game programme released, Day-One will have three rounds of at least two hours each played and the same arrangement will happen on the second day.
The third day, which will have the Sofia Rules, will see rounds seven and eight being played.
The winner will pocket K2,000 while the runner up will get K1, 500 with K1,300 assured for the third-best player while the fourth and fifth finishers will get K800 and K500 ,respectively.
The best female player will get K1,000 and K800 for the losing finalist with K400 and K200 set for the third and fourth finishers. The best over 40 years (veterans’ section) will receive K300.
Meanwhile, GWEN CHIPASULA reports that Ericho Nshikokola is set to take over as CFZ president today after incumbent  Yohanne Mukabe decided not to recontest.
Nshikokola will be formally  elected as CFZ president at today’s AGM set for OYDC.
CFZ   general secretary, Ntemena Bwalya has decided to step up and try his lack at the vice presidency where he will compete against Leslie Vikuse, Nase Lungu and Moses Zimba
Chanda Nsakanya and Kharika Phiri will battle for the post of general secretary while Stephen Phiri is unopposed for the position of vice-general secretary.
Stanley Ngulube and Andrew Kayonde will be vying for the post of treasurer while Aaron Banda and Chief Mulenga will be competing for the tournament director seat.
Committee member candidates are Ginnethon Shandele, Felix Mudenda, Sydney Mukumbo, Mercy Mwape, Robert Mutanda and Robson Kapusha.
Bwalya said the association had already presented the audited accounts to all its affiliates as requested by the Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) last month.
The association were scheduled to hold their elective AGM last month but the SCZ had to postpone it because the audited accounts were not ready.