Sabure's return to boost Olympiad squad

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Tuesday May 4, 2010 00:00

 

She has been reluctant to take part in Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) activities in the past three years because of the poor treatment she has received from the BCF is handling a person of her status. As a result, Sabure missed the last Olympiad in Dresden, Germany, two years ago.

An excited BCF official Alex Mpuisang said at the end of the Sunday play-offs that they had to make some concessions with the Grand Master after listening to her concerns. 'She had genuine concerns.

She felt that all along the BCF had failed to recognise her achievements, especially since she won the grand master title a few years ago. It was a long discussion, but at the end we reached an amicable solution,' declared Mpuisang, who also is the chief arbiter in Botswana.

There were fears that efforts to bring the experienced and highly talented player back into the team for the Olympiad to be held towards the end of the year would fail, after Sabure boycotted five of the opening games in the play-offs while the talks with the BCF were continuing.

By the time she entered the fray, there were only five games left, and Sabure needed to win all of them to qualify.

BCF treasurer Chaza Bontsi said they needed three players for the women's national team in addition to the national champion, Ontiretese Sabure and Boikhutso Mudongo, who was the runner-up.

Bontsi said they felt the other three slots should be decided via play-offs and invited six players - Tshepiso Lopang, Keitumetse Mokgacha, Sabure, Lerato Leso, Kgalalelo Botlhole and Onkemetse Francis.

With Sabure missing five games, there were fears that the WGM would miss out in the play-offs, especially as Lopang, Mokgacha as well as new entrant, Botlhole, appeared to be cruising.

There were concerns that Mokgacha, who had already qualified, gifted Sabure a point when defeat to the WGM would have secured young Botlhole a place in the squad.

Analysts could not believe that Mokgacha could miss all the aggressive moves in her game against Sabure.

Ivon Makabe, one of the arbiters, ran the game through chess base computer analysis programme and could not believe his eyes. 'Mokgacha was playing a very aggressive game here, and had many options to finish the game, but opted for passive moves which allowed her opponent to survive,' Makabe said.

'Mokgacha's aggressive mose do not just happen but are well thought out, but when suddenly one opts not to finish what she started, you wonder what is happening; but in a normal game this was a clear win for white (Mokgacha).'

Sabure however said her opponent simply blundered and missed moves as she also missed good moves during the same game. 'I can't remember what happened in that game because I played many games today,' Sabure said. However, Mokgacha did not comment when asked if the game was fixed.

Sabure went on to finish the play-offs tied on points with Botlhole, resulting in both players having to play shoot-outs chess or blitz, where Sabure won two games and drew one to force herself into the national team to join Mokgacha, Lopang, Ontiretse, and Mudongo.