Nghipandulwa, Chimfutumba crowned Windhoek Open champions

Silas Nghipandulwa and Zambian national Astrida Chimfutumba were crowned champions of the open and women’s sections at the Windhoek Open Chess Championships held at Nictus Cultural Centre last weekend.The eighteenth leg of the Bank Windhoek Grand Prix circuit attracted 46 players, including 14 FIDE-rated competitors and two Arena Candidate Masters (ACM), Lazarus Shatipamba and James Diën, who put their strategic prowess to the test for top honours and valuable series rating points.Nghipandulwa dominated the boards with an almost flawless run, recording only one draw across the seven-round Swiss System to secure gold with a strong 6.5-point tally.‘Thank you, opponents’He admitted the tournament was not much of a challenge in the early rounds.“The fatigue started creeping in by round four. By round five, I had to settle for a draw against Petrus Festus because I didn’t want to overcomplicate things for myself. I still had two more rounds, [so I decided to reset and come back sharper for the remainder of the tournament],” he said.Nghipandulwa added that he knew the win was certain when he saw eventual second-placed South African national Jaison Maphosa lose to William Husselmann in the fifth round.“That was the moment I knew no one could catch up to me. Overall, the tournament was perfect. I felt on top of my game. I’d like to extend my gratitude to Bank Windhoek for sponsoring the tournament and to the organisers. I’d also like to thank my opponents for putting up a strong fight,” he said.The second-place position was tightly contested, with Maphosa and ACM Shatipamba both finishing on 5.5 points. However, Maphosa edged ahead on tiebreaks to claim silver, leaving Shatipamba with bronze.Consistent self-analysisIn the women’s section, Chimfutumba picked up a respectable four points to clinch gold ahead of second-placed Kamutuua Tjatindi (4 points), who took silver, and bronze medallist Shadah Uanguta (3.5).Reflecting on her narrow win, which was decided on tiebreaks, Chimfutumba said: “It feels refreshing. I look forward to participating in more tournaments in the future.”She attributed her victory to countless hours of online chess competitions and the constant analysis of her past games to improve her play.“I’ve analysed many of my previous games, especially the ones I lost. Every chess player experiences plenty of losses before earning a medal. I learn from my past mistakes and do my best to perform better in the following games,” she said.Recognition and acknowledgementsThe tournament also recognised outstanding performances, with ACM Shatipamba named Best Local Player, William Husselmann as Best Junior Player, and 11-year-old Christiaan Cronje, who finished fifth overall, receiving the Best Cadet award.Tournament director Mbitjita Kahuure extended gratitude to Bank Windhoek for their continued support of the series and to Nictus Cultural Centre for providing the venue.“We also thank the media for sharing the story of Namibian chess with a wider audience. Heartfelt thanks go to the players, coaches, arbiters, parents and volunteers whose collective effort, enthusiasm and sportsmanship ensured the success of the event,” he said.The final tournament in the Bank Windhoek Grand Prix circuit will be the Tsumeb Open, to be hosted on 1 November.– mariud@nsh.com.na

Nghipandulwa, Chimfutumba crowned Windhoek Open champions

Kommentaar

Republikein 2025-12-16

Meld asseblief aan om kommentaar te lewer

Nghipandulwa, Chimfutumba crowned Windhoek Open champions

Kommentaar

Republikein 2025-12-16

Meld asseblief aan om kommentaar te lewer

Intekening vereis om toegang tot inhoud te kry. ×

MELD AAN

Advertensie

Intekening vereis om toegang tot inhoud te kry.