Mate girls successfully defend title

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
MATE Secondary School of Tsholotsho bagged their second consecutive Bulawayo Chess Association (BCA) junior girls’ title in a tournament held at Gifford High School on Saturday. Mate, winners of last month’s Mzilikazi Festival, beat Njube, Montrose and Townsend High schools to lift the girls’ juniors’ title. They topped the group with 11 match points, with Sandisiwe Sibanda, Thembelihle Ndlovu and Buhlebenkosi Ndebele dominating Boards One, Two and Four respectively.

Precious Siziba of Njube High was tops in Board Three. Mpopoma won the senior girls’ competition by beating Northlea, Mandwandwe, Montrose and Townsend.

Faith Ncube, winner of Board One and Charlene Mguni, who was the best player on Board Two, powered Mpopoma to 12.5 match points, which was two points ahead of second-placed Northlea.

Townsend anchored the table with just four match points. In the junior boys’ category, Founders, who did not compete at the Mzilikazi Festival, took the crown away from Gifford.

Founders ended the tournament tied on 14.5 match points with Njube, but were declared champions since they had five game points compared to Njube’s 3.5. Gifford settled for third place with Mandwandwe coming fourth.

The best players in the junior boys’ competition were Gifford’s Jimius Ndebele on Board One, Thabo Ngwenya from Founders, who played on Board Two, and Mandwandwe’s duo of Blessing Moyo and Nhlanhla Mpala, who dominated Boards Three and Four.

Gifford’s B team won the senior boys’ title. Shakinah Ndlovu on Board Two and the duo of Blessed Mhaka and Predecessor Mashoko were the best players for Gifford. Ihlathi’s Tapiwa Jele was Board One champion, while Mgcini Mangena of Gifford won on Board Four.

Moses Mutipforo, BCA’s tournaments director and Gifford Congress’ chief arbiter, said the tournament was a success. “We had 132 participants, which is lower than the 161 we had in Mzilikazi, but still the level of competition was magnificent. As BCA, we believe we had a successful Gifford tournament and our next competition is set for Montrose on June 25,” said Mutipforo.

Results

Junior Girls

G/Pts M/Pts

Mate 3 11

Njube 2 8

Montrose 1 4

Townsend 0 1

Junior Boys

G/Pts M/Pts

Founders 5 14.5

Njube 3.5 14.5

Gifford A 3.5 13.5

Mandwandwe 3.5 13

CBC A 3 13

Northlea 3 11.5

Gifford B 2.5 10.5

CBC B 2.5 10.5

Mpopoma 2 9

Mzilikazi A 1.5 6

Mzilikazi B 1 5

Milton 1 5

Senior Girls

G/Pts M/Pts

Mpopoma 3.5 12.5

Northlea 3 10.5

Mandwandwe 1.5 7.5

Montrose 1.5 6.5

Townsend 0.5 4

Senior Boys

G/Pts M/Pts

Gifford B 4.5 15

Ihlathi 4 14

Mandwandwe 4 14

Gifford A 3 13.5

Gifford C 3 12.5

CBC A 2.5 11.5

Mpopoma 2.5 10.5

CBC B 2 8

Mpopoma B 1.5 8.5

Mzilikazi B 1 7.5

Milton A 1 4

Mzilikazi A 1 2.5