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| Sports |
| Lilongwe whizkid shocks star Chiluzi |
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by
Leonard Sharra, 18 November 2004
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09:11:55
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Former national chess champion Ulemu Chiluzi suffered the shock of his chess career on Monday, when 11-year-old whizkid Joseph Mwale kicked him out of the Stanbic National Individual Chess Championship and Dilawo Memorial Trophy during joint qualifiers for the two tournaments staged at Lilongwe Technical College.
The two tournaments were organised to identify 12 players to compete for five places allocated to Central Region at the Stanbic national finals slated for Blantyre on December 4 and 5. The same players will also battle out for the K6,000 ($55) cash prize and other top prizes in the Dilawo Memorial tournament on December 18 and 19.
The Dilawo Trophy, which is worth K80,000, is played every three months while the Stanbic tournament is hosted twice every year.
The first Stanbic national event for this year was held in June. Blantyre-based Kajani Kaunda won the tournament with Gerald Nkangama coming second. Chiluzi was third.
The former Polytechnic star, who is currently a national chess team player, has won the Dilawo Trophy three times. But his dreams of reclaiming the title, currently held by former Chancellor College student Sungani Chalemba, were shattered by the little Mwale on Monday.
Both Chiluzi and the young boy were desperate for a point to keep their qualification chances alive, when they were paired against each other in the closing round of the two-day tournament. Mwale outwitted the veteran before handing him a checkmate after about 45 minutes of play.
Looking disturbed, Chiluzi gave the boy a handshake before heading for home.
After the Saturday and Monday tournaments following were the best rated players: Precious Chiwere and Leonard Sharra (1040), Paul Nyirenda, Henry Matewere, Albert Tung’ande and Misheck Nyirenda (1032), Alfred Chimthere, Chuma Mwale and Francis Banda (1024), Sam Nkhwazi, Sungani Chalemba, Joseph Mwale, Happy Mbemba, Ackim Mwale and Martin Mkalira (1016).
Three players from the last six will be eliminated after blitz games to be played before an all-play-all tournament to decide five qualifiers for the Stanbic national finals. The all-play-all tournament has been slated for this Saturday and Sunday.
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