Chess players for African Championships

Calistus Kolantsho | Monday June 23, 2014 14:53

The 2014 Zone 4.3 Open and Women Championships will end next week Tuesday (July 1st). International Master Providence Oatlhotse, Candidate Master Barileng Gaealafshwe and Candidate Master Thato Olebile will represent Botswana in the Open Section.

Under the women championships category, the countries hopes are in Women FIDE Master Thapelo Francis, Women FIDE Master Kgalalelo Bothole and Women Candidate Master Onkemetse Francis.

BCF spokesperson, Keenese Katisenge told Monitor Sport the tournament will serve as preparation for the 2014 Chess Olympiad slated for Tromso, Norway in August. She said the winners will also be awarded tittles of International Master and  Fide Master in the Open section while the Woman International Master and Woman Fide Master titles will be awarded to excellent performances in the women section.

Katisenge said the Zone 4.3 Individual Chess Championships were hosted in Botswana in 2013 where Francis and Olebile were awarded WFM and Candidate Master titles respectively by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) after impressive performance. WIM Boikhutso Modongo and WFM Thapelo Francis also won medals for Botswana in the tournament previously.

The team is acompanied by BCF Ratings and Technical Director Vincent Masole and BCF Treasurer Gofaone Baleseng.