Van Rooyen, Chimfutumba crowned blitz champions

Louis van Rooyen and Astrida Chimfutumba were crowned champions of the Independence Blitz Chess Tournament, held at the Nictus Cultural Centre in Windhoek on Sunday.

The open annual tournament, held in celebration of the country’s independence, also marked its 20th anniversary and attracted 37 players competing in a mixed-pool nine-round Swiss-format event.

Unlike the traditional classical format, which requires deep calculation and long-term planning and can last several hours, blitz chess is fast-paced, with games lasting only minutes and placing a premium on quick thinking and tactical awareness.

Van Rooyen’s title-winning run in the open section began with a first-round bye, before he opened his campaign with a win over Pinehas Mweya. His only defeat came in the third round against Tacco Urib.

Dominant run

He went on to win all his remaining games, defeating Nasilele Nkonkwena, Muundjua Mbahimwa, Frederick Cronje, Lazarus Shatipamba, McLean Handjaba and Branden Goaseb.

Van Rooyen secured the overall title with eight points.

Reflecting on his performance, he said he was proud of his showing.

“I just lost one game. The position was actually equal, but I lost on time. I was dwelling too much on my position,” he said.

On the level of competition, he noted that few opponents seriously challenged him.

“Maybe in my last game when I hung a knight against Branden. It was my last game, so it was probably because the pressure was getting to me,” he said.

Shatipamba finished second, also on eight points, but placed behind Van Rooyen on a direct encounter tiebreak. Handjaba claimed bronze.

Women’s champion

In the women’s section, Chimfutumba had to work hard for her victory, suffering losses to Cronje, Mbahimwa, Petrus Katota and Sibusiso Angula.

However, wins over Toini Shikongo, Kaulandwa Muhimba, Alexa Mapira, Kenneth Mapira and Lucia Namushinga proved enough to secure the title.

The Zambian national celebrated only her second title, having won the Windhoek Open last October.

She welcomed the victory, describing it as a strong start to the year.

“The title is good to kickstart the season and gives me a lot of confidence for the next open tournament,” she said.

Chimfutumba added that several opponents pushed her, including one of the top-rated women players, Namushinga.

“I was really sweating when I was going up against her after seeing she had picked up a good number of points. I was a bit nervous, but I managed to beat her,” she said.

Nkonkwena claimed silver, while Namushinga took bronze.

Other outstanding performers

Junior open: 1 Urib, 2 Angula, 3 Mweya.

Junior girls: 1 Anna Moongo (sole participant).

Open cadet: 1 James Diën, 2 Cronje, 3 Evan Ellis.

Girls cadet: 1 Shikongo, 2 Kaino Moongo, 3 Alexa Mapira.

Longest-running chess tournament

Speaking about the event, newly elected chess president Candidate Master (CM) Charles Eichab said the tournament was a success.

It was the first event of his tenure following his election on 14 March, with his term set to run until 2030.

CM Eichab takes over from Goodwill Khoa, who led the federation from January 2023 until his resignation in January 2025. The office has since been overseen by Berdian Beukes as interim president.

“This is one of the longest-running tournaments in Namibia since 2006. Hopefully, we will improve even more next year,” said CM Eichab.

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