EMMANUEL MARAMBE
THE Crystal Candy National Schools Chess Team Tournament gets underway at Marymount Teachers’ College in Mutare today with around 500 players drawn from the country’s primary and secondary schools competing for honours.
The tournament ends tomorrow.
Participants will compete in the U18 and U14 categories across the boys and girls sections, with the U14 winners set to represent Zimbabwe in the Africa Junior Chess Championships later this year.
Among the schools fancied to contend for the top prizes in the fourth edition of the country’s premier schools chess tournament are reigning U18 champions Dominican Convent, Budiriro 3 Primary, Cheziya High School, Liebenberg High School, Goromonzi’s Runyararo Primary, Gwehava, Haig Park School CZM Primary and Maryward High School.
ZCF Chess in Education Commission chairperson Denford Zawu believes the standards will be even higher this year as the Zimbabwe Chess Federation’s development initiatives begin to pay off.
“This is the biggest event in local schools chess and we are expecting top notch competition across all categories. Of course it will be even more interesting in the U14s where there is a mix of primary and secondary school pupils battling for the right to represent the country in this year’s Africa Junior Chess Championships,” said Zawu.
“In terms of numbers, we are looking at about 500 players representing the schools that excelled in the qualifying competitions that were held in the country’s 10 provinces. This is also the fourth edition of the tournament and we have some players who have been taking part in the finals in the last few years while some have also managed to get international experience which should put them in a good position to raise the bar in the Crystal Candy finals.”
Among the schools involved in the U14 finals are Baobab Primary, Budiriro 4 Primary, Chizungu Primary, Dominican Convent Harare Primary, Eddrovale College, Ganyamadze Primary, Gift Academy, Jiti Primary, Kachiva Primary, Lesedi Primary, Matione Primary, Mother Touch Primary, Mupandira Primary, Mutendi High, Riversdale Secondary, Runyararo Primary (Goromonzi), Ruvimbo Primary, Sinoia Primary, Sengwa Primary, St George’s Primary (Hwange), Thomas Coulter Primary (Hwange), Tomlinson Depot Primary, Tsanzaguru Primary, Tsatse Primary, Umvukwes Primary, Victoria High, Waddilove High, Zamba Primary, Zimuto High and ZRP Kadoma Primary.
The U18 competition will feature the likes of Blueprint Academy, Chindunduma High, Chinhoyi Technical High, Chipadze High, Chipindura High, CZA High, Harare High, Hellenic Academy, Mabelreign Girls High, Mavhudzi High, Nemakonde Technical High, Njelele High, Pamushana High School, Queen Elizabeth School, St Bornface High, Temeraire High, Vainona High, Zengeza 1 High and ZRP Support Unit.