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| WCM Oyo in action in Kenya - Raw focus |
10-19 August 2018 African Youth Chess Championship, Kisumu, Nairobi. 12 countries , 142 players participated in the event. Namibia fielded 17 players ranging from U8-U18.
The competition was very tough for our juniors because the powerhouses of African chess (Algeria and SA) dominated the event. Majority of the Namibian players were new to the event hence they could not yield the desired results but they gained a lot of experience in the process. They will return next year and show their strength. Namibia had one of the highest number of entrances into the event which shows that we are moving in the right direction.
We secured 1 gold medal from girls U8, Ottilie Yorokee Hinda 'Oyo' who scored 8/9. Hinda was the top seed in her age group for the entire tournament. Her performance rating was 1800 which was very good given her age. By winning the first place, she got personal rights to participate in the world cadet chess championship that will be held in Weifang, China in 2019. Lewis Ncube, the President of the African Chess Federation announced at the closing ceremony that the African Chess Federation will pay all the costs of the winners to participate in China next year.
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| WCM Ottilie Hinda - u/8 African Champion |
Hinda, is a Women Candidates Master (WCM), a title she obtained in Zambia, Lusaka in 2016. She is currently the youngest WCM in Africa. This is the first time that Namibia achieves a medal at the African Youth Chess Championship. Hinda w will participate in the world cadet chess championship in Santiago, Spain from 3-16 November 2018 where she will meet the best of the world, amongst other, Russia, India, China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan but to mention a few countries that produces chess prodigies in the world.
Hinda feels very good about winning the award. She cannot wait to become a Women Fide Master (WFM).
A special thanks to the President of the Namibian Chess Federation, Mr Israel Shilongo who goes the extra mile to encourage junior players to participate in international tournaments to put Namibia on the map. He alloes encourages the juniors to participate in various open tournaments in Namibia as well as the Chess league. In these tournaments they play against strong players and up their game in the process.
Hinda would also like to give a special thanks to her mentor, Max Nitzborn, the founder of the Weekend Chess Academy (TWCA) where she attends chess lessons. (Story and pictures contributed by Ms. Menencia Hinda)
