Mabvuto Phiri, "Chess Ace Chumfwa Retains Position at Zone IV Rating Tourney," The Post, 4 May 2004 (Lusaka, Zambia).

STANLEY Chumfwa, Zambia's number one ranked chess player over the weekend, retained his position after winning the Zone IV rating tournament held in Lusaka.

Tournament director Moses Kalapizya said Chumfwa won the tournament, which attracted 81 participants, after scooping 6½ points from a potential 7 points.

Kalapizya said the tournament played on a Swiss system saw Chumfwa win six of his seven games and draw one. Chumfwa (pictured right) beat Douglas Bwalya in the final round and got K300, 000 for his effort.

In second position was Musatwe Simutowe who got 6 points after out-thinking Hambani Nkhoma while Bwalya was third as a result of his loss to Chumfwa.  Both Simutowe and Bwalya walked away with K150, 000 each.

"Despite the equal points that Simutowe and Bwalya had, Simutowe got the second position in the rankings because the tie breaker was played according to the 'Bucoltz system'. This means that the player who played the tougher opponents gets a better rating," Kalapizya said.

In the women's category, Chilongo Changala won the event and in the process dethroned the defending champion Linda Nangwale.  Changala got three points, as did the second and third ranked female players. The top three female players each got K70, 000.

"Yvonne Saina, who got two and a half points was also crowned the most exciting player of the contest after demonstrating very high skills against Kela Kaulule," Kalapizya said. Saina received K40, 000.

Posted by The Chess Drum: 8 May 2004