The Rwanda Open Olympiad Team has been named for the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022, which takes place from July 28th to August 10th in Chennai, India.
Team Rwanda will be represented by two teams of five players in both categories.
These players were selected at the end of the second and final qualification phase, which took place at Hilltop Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda from 23-27 May.
The event was played as a 10-player round-robin tournament with Anastase Barajinginywa emerging as the Winner of the Championship with convincing 8.5/9 points.
The best-ranked five players of the event made it to the team. These include; Anastase Barajinginywa, Goyal Kishitij, Lionel Nditabinye Maranatha Nduwayesu (1829), and Hassan Murenzi (1585).
What is interesting about the men’s team is that the top three players are unrated, and all five will be making their maiden Olympiad appearances.
Five women players include Amanda Ngwinondebe, Joana Mbabazi, Winnie Katushabe, BethlehemIkirezi, and Nadine Umutoni.
The World Chess Olympiad 2022 competition is expected to be attended by 343 teams from 187 countries. Team Rwanda is expected to leave Kigali on July 27, 2022.
Meanwhile, the Rwanda National Chess Federation (FERWADE) has announced June 12, 2022, as the official date for the Chess Memorial tournament that will attract six countries namely; Uganda, Afghanistan, Kenya, South Sudan, Burundi, and the host.
Ben Tom Zimurinda, the FERWADE President says, “Remembrance Tournament will take place shortly before the Olympiad so that the tournament can help Rwandan chess players to prepare ahead of 44th Chess Olympiad 2022” players to prepare ahead of 44th Chess Olympiad 2022”
