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Sports Reporter
GIFFORD High School dominated the Mzilikazi High School Chess festival, winning the boys’ junior and senior titles on Saturday while Mate from Tsholotsho won the junior girls’ competition with Mpopoma bagging the seniors’ trophy.

The festival coordinated by Bulawayo Chess Association is part of the ambitious programme meant to create a strong player base at grass roots level.

A total of 160 pupils participated in the tournament held at Mzilikazi High School, with each team having four players.

The junior girls section had eight teams, winners Mate who won all their five matches to score 17 game points, runners-up Montrose who were tied on 3.5 match points with Mandwandwe but the former had superior 14 game points.

Njube, Northlea, Amhlophe, Mpopoma and winless Tennyson Hlabangana completed the teams that participated in the junior girls’ competition.

The outstanding junior girls were Sandisiwe Sibanda of Mate on board one with five points, Montrose’s Tsepo Ndebelo on board two with four points, Mate’s Samkeliso Ndebele on board three with five points and Thabani Ncube of Mandwandwe on board four with five points.

In the junior boys’ category, winners Gifford had two of their boys Jimius Ndebele and Marshal Dube dominating boards one and two with respective five points.

Victor Zikhali from the hosts Mzilikazi conquered on board three with five points while board four had a tie between Solomon Lunga of Amhlophe and Milton’s Caution Muchemwa who also scored five points.

On the overall table Njube finished second with four match points followed by Christian Brothers College (CBC) B team who were tied on three points with their A side, Mandwandwe on 2.5 while Tennyson anchored the table with 0.5.

Mpopoma dominated boards one, two and three of the senior girls’ category. Their players Faith Ncube and Charlene Mguni each had five points on board one and two with Nomagugu Ndlovu tied on 4.5 with Nobesuthu Ndlovu of Northlea.

Maria Mguni of Northlea was board four’s outstanding player with five points.

The top players in the senior boys were Ebenezer Madamba of CBC on board one with five points, Jaggerson Mlilo of Gifford with five points on board two, board three’s Gifford duo of Nyasha Maworere and Predecessor Mashoko who were tied on 4.5 as well as Pride Ngulube also from Gifford who scored five points on board four.

Results

Section junior girls

Game Points Match Points

Mate (Tsholotsho) 17 5

Montrose 14 3.5

Mandwandwe 13.5 3.5

Njube 12.5 3

Northlea 8 2

Amhlophe 7.5 2

Mpopoma 7 1

Tennyson H 0.5 0

Section junior boys

Game points Match points

Gifford 14.5 4.5

Njube 12.5 4

CBC B 12 3

CBC A 11.5 3

Mandwandwe 12.5 2.5

Masotsha 10.5 2.5

Mzilikazi B 10 2.5

Amhlophe 10 2.5

Milton 9.5 2

Mzilikazi A 6.5 2

Northlea 6.5 1

Tennyson 5 0.5

Section senior girls

Game Points Match Points

Mpopoma 16.5 5

Masotsha 16.5 4

Montrose 13.5 3

Masotsha 6.5 2

Tennyson H 2 2

Mixed Team 2 0

Section Senior Boys

Game points Match points

Gifford A 18.5 5

Gifford B 15 4

Mpopoma A 13.5 3

CBC 13 3

Mpopoma B 11.5 3

Mzilikazi A 9 2.5

Mzilikazi B 9.5 2.5

Milton 8.5 2

Mzilikazi C 10 2

Amhlophe 8 2

Northlea 8 2

Masotsha 8 2

Tennyson H 7 0.5

Mixed Team 3.5 0.5

Section Senior Girls

Game Points Match Points

Mpopoma 16.5 5

Northlea 16.5 4

Montrose 13.5 3

Masotsha 6.5 2

Tennyson H 2 2

Mixed Team 2 0