Uganda’s top seeds brace for crucial round at Africa Youth Chess Championships

Uganda’s leading players, Sana Omprakash (U18) and Suhana Anil Yadav (U12), are preparing for decisive encounters in Round 6 of the ongoing Africa Youth Chess Championships in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Sana, currently ranked Africa’s number two in the U18 girls’ category, will face Nigeria’s WCM Deborah Ebimobo, the continent’s top seed, on board one in what promises to be a thrilling showdown.

Heading into the round, Sana leads the table with 4.5 points, while Ebimobo follows closely on 4 points, maintaining her unbeaten record so far.

In the fiercely competitive U12 girls’ category, Suhana Anil Yadav will battle Nigeria’s Michelle Nwankwo, the current number one in Africa. Both players are tied at 4.5 points after five rounds, still unbeaten. The U12 group has proven unpredictable, with more than eight players on 4 points, intensifying the pressure on the leaders.

Other Ugandan medal hopefuls include Juliet Asaba (U14), who faces Botswana’s WCM Eesha Nalamalpu, Africa’s number two in her category. A victory for Asaba could disrupt Kenya’s dominance, with Kenyan players currently occupying the top three spots in the U14 girls’ standings.

In the U12 boys’ section, Ronald Wabwire and Apollo Ahumuza—Uganda’s highest-ranked players—face critical matches against South Africa’s Mann Ioan and Kenya’s Danson Kimani, respectively. Both need wins to stay in medal contention, with Wabwire in third place and Ahumuza two spots below, each on 4 points from five rounds.

Meanwhile, Talia Atubet (U10), who lost yesterday to Nigeria’s Agusionu Adaeze, is set for a tough rematch against Zambia’s undefeated Nikhil Nitya.

Uganda Chess Federation General Secretary and delegation leader Patrick Ojok acknowledged the high stakes. “These games are determinant for Team Uganda. We are facing the top seeds, and while the pressure is intense, we are confident our players have what it takes to succeed,” Ojok said.

Thursday’s fixtures are expected to shape the medal race, making it a pivotal day for Uganda’s young chess talents.

Results 
U18 Category
Mutero Tadisa (ZIM) 1-0 Edwin Pido (UG)
S. Omprakash (UG) 1/2-1/2 C.Randriatsiferana (MAD)

U16 Category
Grove Emily (SA) 0-1 Dasha Zalwango (UG)
Li Zhengfei (SA) 1-0 soubith Omprakash (UG)

U14 Category
Asaba Juliet (UG) 1-0 Patience Magorosi (ZIM)
Daniel Odokonyero (UG) 1-0 Kruger Tobias (SA)
Omara Samora (UG) 0-1 Parag Jugmohan (SA)

U12 Category
Moruza Tinaye (ZIM) 0-1 Anabel Kirabo (UG)
Milla Papanicolaou (SA) 0-1 Suhana Anil (UG)
Ronald Wabwire(UG) 1/2-1/2 Tak Ramveer (SA)
Apollo Ahumuza (UG) 1/2-1/2 Man Iowan (SA)
Shaurya Danave (ZAM) 1-0 Oyang Sankara (UG)

U10 Category
Talia Atubet (UG) 0-1 Agusionu A. Zita (NGR)
Li Xing (ZIM) 1-0 Elvis Tumusiime (UG)

U8 Category
Psalm Nicole (UG) 1-0 Chloe Masanchwe (MW)
Aaron Kagoda (UG) 0-1 Tak Abeer (SA)
Sean Mulema (UG) 1-0 Jane Lennon (MOZ)
Ernest Kiggundu (UG) 1-0 Jeremy Muriuki (KE)