• Chess

NM Khoa wins first-ever women's open title

• 1 Month Ago 01 November 2024

Women’s National Master (WNM) Lutopu Khoa made history as the country’s first champion in the women’s open section at Namibia Chess Federation’s (NCF) recently concluded Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Classical Chess Open championship in Windhoek.

Her milestone win at Nictus Cultural Centre materialised despite the presence of strong international competitors, including Zambian national Women FIDE Master (WFM) Constance Mbatha.

The FIDE-rated event also featured players from Angola, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It saw a head-to-head clash of seasoned players, rising talents and eager amateurs in a Swiss System tournament featuring the Open, Women’s, Veteran and Junior sections.

WNM Khoa took the open group’s overall title with six points, explaining that she invested time and effort into tactical preparation by solving puzzles leading up to the competition. “I find them enjoyable and fun, so spending time on them came easy for me,” she noted.



Redemptive moment

Reflecting on the strong contenders she faced, Khoa acknowledged the challenge of facing a higher-rated opponent like WFM Mbatha, who was the runner-up with six points ahead of second runner-up Kamutuua Tjatindi (5.5).

“WFM Mbatha, with over a 100-point rating difference, was the highest-rated player I faced. I focused on making good moves rather than letting her rating intimidate me. Staying calm worked well in my favour, ultimately leading me to victory. It felt good!” she said.

The victory was particularly meaningful for Khoa, who faced challenges at the Bank Windhoek Namibia Open earlier in the year.

“I played very poorly at the Bank Windhoek Open, so I thought this might be a good chance to redeem myself. (This motivation) was quite significant for me,” she remarked.

Angolan national, International Master (IM) David Silva, was crowned the open section champion with six points, narrowly edging out Zambian Timothy Kabwe (six points) on technicalities.

The talented Fame Thipuunga Thindhimba was Namibia’s standout performer who settled for third place after a draw kept him from the title race with 5.5 points.



Cadet and junior winners

The cadet open section saw Frederick Cronje reign supreme with 4 points, followed by Hanro Henderson (3) and Gavriil Salvador Fernades (3), with technicalities making the difference.

In the junior section, Haipinge Tuhafifa Pomwene (4.5) dominated by fine margins, beating Genius Sihlahla (4.5) and Sakaria Shiimbi (4.5).

Competing uncontested in the veteran section was Cyprian Roman.

In the women’s cadet section, Shadah Uanguta’s 4.5-point draw proved crucial, winning her the overall title ahead of Kyllikki Sihlahla (4) and Uakundja Princess Tueutjiua (4).

The women’s junior section saw Tiffany Oktavia Goa-Eises clinch a comfortable 3-point lead, alongside Chande Radicha Kooper with a scoreless run.



Upcoming competition

The NCF said the championships served as a key training opportunity for the country’s cadet national team on their way to the FIDE World Cadet Championships from 14 to 27 November in Italy.

The NCF expressed delight at the strong support from neighbouring countries, viewing it as a boost to Namibia’s chess development efforts.

This event’s 2024 edition introduced live-streaming technology for all matches on Board 1, supported by DGT electronic boards from RMB and NCF, allowing chess fans worldwide to follow the action in real time.

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