Omaruru Open Chess Championships unveils new champion

In a thrilling display of strategic brilliance, the Bank Windhoek 2024 Omaruru Open Chess Championships recently crowned a new champion, Mbitjita Kahuure, marking another milestone in Namibia’s chess landscape.

The SI Gobs Secondary School and the Coastal Chess Association hosted the event. This year’s Championship, which is one of 18 events scheduled across Namibia as part of the National Grand Prix Series, witnessed the record-breaking participation of 70 enthusiastic chess players. The atmosphere was electric as players from diverse backgrounds and skill levels converged to test their mettle on the chessboard.

Kahuure, who has been playing for about 25 years, said his overall experience at the Championship was good and observed a great turnout in the town. “Chess usually does not get much exposure in small towns. Hence, this is a great initiative which brings together local players,” he said. This was Kahuure’s first time playing in a long while, as he mainly focuses on coaching other players.

The Namibia Chess Federation President Goodwill Khoa said one of the highlights of the event was the introduction of the much-anticipated Digital Game Technology (DGT) E-boards, which add a new dimension to the tournament and the development of chess in Namibia. “The DGT boards allowed young players to have a thrilling experience playing on electronic chess boards for the first time. In this way, they witness how the technology seamlessly records their moves and games first-hand,” he said.

Khoa thanked all participants for their passion and dedication to the game and the Championship’s main sponsor, Bank Windhoek, “whose unwavering support continues to fuel the growth and development of chess in Namibia.”

Awarded as first-place participants in Omaruru are as follows: Open Category – Kahuure Mbitjita; Women – Khoa Lutopu; Junior Open – Katsvara Pewelago; Cadet Open – Brown Lao-Letty and Omaruru Open Best Local – Galant Werner.

This coming weekend, the National Grand Prix Series will take place as an Open Championship in Rehoboth. The Namibia Chess Federation encourages all members of the chess community to participate. Their involvement in such events resulted in players obtaining an official International Chess Federation FIDE rating, a significant milestone for aspiring players.