Online Reporter
Takudzwa Chitsiga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ROY Mwadzura and Christine Mukwena were crowned the 2026 Zimbabwe Nationals Chess champions at Joina City over the weekend.
The championship has a ticket to represent the country at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September.
Mwadzura was in top form as he finished the contest on 6.5 points, beating last year’s winner Tapiwa Jele into second place on six points.
Three-time former champion, Emarald Mushore, finished third on 5.5 points.
The Harare-based player said he is looking forward to represent the country on the international stage.
“I am so happy with this win and the competition was very tough. I am grateful to Zimbabwe Chess Federation for providing us with such a platform to play.
“There was a lot of competition, especially in the sixth round, but I managed to pull through.
“The competitions give us time to compete and prove our mettle.
“The event went on well despite it lacking sponsorship,” said Mwadzura.
Mukwena said;
“After three days of chess, coming out top is always good. I have been practicing a lot and I am happy that we have some junior players who are doing well and giving us competition.
“I did well from the start and finished strongly. Winning by 1;5 points is a good margin and I look forward to more tournaments.”
ZCF president Todd Mapingire said:
“This year’s championship is a defining moment for chess.
“We witnessed a potential changing of the guard with our youngest athlete in the women open section being as young as 14-years-old.
“The hunger we see in these young players is unlike anything we have seen in recent years, and the veterans know they could not simply rely on their past reputations to survive.”
