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Brandon Moyo, [email protected]

THE stage is set for the 2023 Commissioner General’s Behind the Wall Chess Tournament, formerly known as 2023 Behind the Wall Chess Tournament which will be held at the Khami Prison Complex in Bulawayo starting Saturday.

The tournament is set to end on Sunday. It is popularly known as one of the biggest and most important initiatives on the Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF) calendar. This tournament has been running for four years and counting, having begun in 2019.

It runs under the theme; “transforming lives through Chess,” and  is an integral part of ZCF’s Social Chess Commission which derives its vision and mission from the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) Social Chess Commission which exists to transform lives by empowering others and to enable the less privileged in society to realise their full potential.

“This is one of our key events as ZCF which has borne amazing results in just a few years. FIDE have written and called us to give reports on the efforts we’ve been doing as a country which has put us heads over shoulders above the rest in Africa. Due to this project, we have managed to be Africa’s only representative in the two editions of the FIDE Intercontinental Chess Championships for Prisoners introduced in 2021 by the FIDE Social Chess Commission in partnership with the County Cook Sheriff’s Office in Chicago, USA,” said ZCF Social Chess Commission Director, Cosmas Dongo.

Taking lessons from the FIDE Social Chess Commission, the Federation appreciates the power of chess in reaching members of the society regardless of their spheres in life, hence the birth of this project.

Equally sharing this appreciation, ZPCS has been an enthused partner driving the success of this project which in its fourth year has been adopted by the ZPCS Commissioner General, to carry his name as part of its name.

ZPCS appreciate the benefits of chess which can do a lot to help inmates cope during their time behind bars. It also inspires hope in helping inmates realise that they have not been cast away or forgotten and are still an integral part of the society going through a process of reform and rehabilitation.

“We appreciate the partnership and close relationship we have with ZPCS. This has been the biggest impetus propelling the growth and success of this program. We are still a long way from what we envision, but we are positive we will get there by making small but marked strides. It hasn’t been easy getting adequate support from the corporate world for this initiative and we really appreciate what Minerva Risk Advisors have done by securing 92 standard chess sets for the 46 prisons in the country. With more such support, the tournament and chess in prisons will thrive,” Dongo added.

The Commissioner General’s Behind the Wall Chess Tournament has been growing by each passing year, with the two inaugural events having been held in Harare, with inmates from Harare only participating.

In 2022, ZCF and ZPCS took the tournament nationally, which saw Khami Prison Complex host 169 participants from all across the country comprising inmates, ZPCS Officers and Civilians. For the first time, inmates representing all of the country’s Provinces took part, making it a national competition.

At the upcoming event, female inmates also got involved for the first time with 28 females taking part, which was a major development in the growth of the initiative.

The competition is expected to be bigger and better this year with more players anticipated in all categories. More than 30 professional chess players have registered for the event and fireworks are expected as inmates, ZPCS Officers and professional chess players battle for supremacy over the chequered board.

The defending champions of the 2022 editions, Tapiwa Jele and Charlene Mguni have made their intentions to defend their titles clear when ZPCS Officers like Cyril Chigodo are promising to dethrone them.

The initiative has gone a long way in putting Zimbabwe on the global chess spotlight. In 2021 Zimbabwe managed to field a formidable team which incredibly reached the finals of First FIDE Online Chess Championships for Prisoners, being the only African representative in the global competition. Zimbabwe finished 4th in the last edition of the same event held last year but aims to bring the coveted title home and also fielding its first female team for the competition.

The initiative has received a boost in form of equipment support from the corporate world with Minerva Risk Advisors having provided 92 standard chess sets for this competition. ZCF and ZPCS are still seeking partners to sponsor the event on an annual basis or even biennially. – @brandon_malvin