Zambia's Chumfwa continues to rise!!

"Chess Champion Proves His Mettle Again," The Times of Zambia, 1 January 2003 (Ndola, Zambia).

ZAMBIA's national chess champion STANLEY Chumfya over the weekend again proved he was the best local player by winning the Copperbelt Closed chess championship. The three-day championship, held at Kitwe Central Hospital (KCH) saw Chumfya outclass a field of 64 drawn from Lusaka and across the Copperbelt.

Chumfya, who was seed-one and winner of the Copperbelt Open championship three months ago, finished with eight points from the nine rounds. Chumfya won seven games and drew the other two against former national champion Nase Lungu and Douglas Bwalya for his eight points which earned him the first prize of K600,000.

Lungu, who has represented Zambia at two world Olympiads, took second place with 7.5 points and K400,000 after winning seven games, drawing one and losing one to Costa Bunda. Bunda, who was the best placed Zambian at the 2001 Africa junior championships hosted in Lusaka, shared third place with Nsakanga Chanda on seven points to receive K250,000 each. Douglas Bwalya, Andrew Chirwa and Musatwe Simutowe were all in fourth place with 6½ points and each received K66,000.

Ben Musanga, Nkatya Mbewe, McDonald Mvula, Brian Chipula, and Maybin Phiri each received K20,000 for finishing fifth with six points while Nora Mwansa got K100,000 for being the best placed woman player with three points. Other players who got K100,000 each were 15-year-old Andrew Kayonde for being the best youngest player with five points and Moses Kalapizya, the best over-40 with 5½ points.

Posted by The Chess Drum: 5 January 2003