Nine-Year-Old Princess Eleanor Ncube becomes Zimbabwe’s youngest rated chess player

PRINCESS Eleanor Ncube, the nine-year-old chess whiz from Victoria Falls has been confirmed Zimbabwe’s youngest rated player after rising to become the best Under 10 and second best Under 16 rated player in the country’s women chess.

She has watched as her star continues to rise as she hoisted the gold medal for her country at various tournaments locally and abroad.
Daughter to Victoria Falls businesswoman Mercy Mushangwe who is Victoria Falls Chess Academy president and seasoned arbiter, Princess’ ultimate goal is to become a chess grandmaster and arbiter.

Despite missing school for tournaments, her sharp mind, honed by the strategic battles of chess, consistently placed her among the top learners at Mother Touch Group of Schools in Victoria Falls where she is in Grade Four.
“Congratulations to Princess she is now the second best Under 16 rated player in Zimbabwe Women Chess and best Under 10 in Chess. She is also the youngest rated Chess player in Zimbabwe,” read the congratulatory message to her from the sport governing body.

What it meant is that she has finally got that ranking she wanted so much, she is on cloud nine, said her mother.
This was after she beat three rated players in three previous tournaments.
These were the 15th Annual African Youth Chess Championships held in June this year in South Africa, Minerva’s Zimbabwe Open held in Harare in July this year and Zone 4.5 Under 16 held in Lusaka in August this year.

In an interview, Prince said: “I started playing chess when I was seven year-old and have I have attended several tournaments, both rated and unrated. In these two years I have earned 7 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 3 bronze medals. I have played locally in Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Chinhoyi, Victoria Falls, Chivhu and Kwekwe. Outside Zimbabwe I have played in Botswana, Zambia, South Africa, Kenya and Greece.”
She said being rated is the biggest achievement for her but she is not getting complacent.

“Getting a rating means that I have to work hard so that I can maintain my rating and improve it too. It gives me hope that I can become a Grandmaster. Since I started playing chess I have benefited in my education with improved focus and critical thinking, have more people to socialise with and travel more,” she said.
Princess said she needs to improve more on her middle game.

Her role model is Gary Kasparov of Russia because he founded the Kasparov Chess foundation which looks into the needs of children in chess.
She is grateful of the support she has received from her mates, friends, trainers and mother.
@ncubeleon