Introduction

Angola, is a large resource-rich country having tasted the reality of bitter political battles: first with the colonial Portuguese rulers and then through civil wars. In the post-independence era, Angola received generous assistance from the Soviet Union and it is through the vehicle of cultural exchange that the interest in chess was spawned.

Angola has perhaps one of the highest concentration of International Masters per 100 chess player. Boasting a quintet of International Masters, Angola has produced three African Junior Champions. IM Pedro Adérito won the title in 1993. Adérito   learned chess at age 15, but it was not until later that he took a liking to the game. Speaking through an interpreter, he stated that chess was not easy to learn and he didn't play in his first tournament until  two years later.

A Diamond in the Rough!

Known for its large diamond mines and rich cultural traditions, Angola's capitol of Luanda is where young Pedro grew up. At age 15, a friend of his (now serving as a priest in Brazil) decided to teach him chess. Pedro was not immediately drawn to the game, but was intrigued enough to take an interest. A couple of years later, he entered he first chess tournament. This science student from Puniv High School entered a regional qualifying tournament for the National Championship and took 3rd place was a 5-2 score! He was bested only by seasoned players Antonio Pedro and Eugénio Campos (now an IM).   It was at this point that Pedro took a deeper interest in chess.

As is common in many African nations, chess materials are very hard to find, so Pedro most of his time working with friends… essentially learning by playing. While the friends of his youth still play, Pedro has broken from the pack and clearly established himself as one of the country's top players. He has won countless tournaments in Angola and has also won the African Junior Championship in 1993 (held in Kenya) which was how he earned the IM title. IM Manuel Mateus had earned his IM title at the 1987 African Championships while IM Eugénio Campos succeeded him as Junior Champion in 1994.  Pedro honed his skills in the Karpov Chess School and currently works with Abilio Ribero, a fellow member on the National Team.

A Long Way from Home!

Pedro has represented Angola in several Olympiad tournament including 1996 (Yerevan, Armenia), 1998 (Elista, Russia), 2000 (Istanbul, Turkey), and 2002 (Bled Slovenia). In the Elista tournament, he won a bronze medal for his 7-2 performance on board #4 (Nigeria's IM Odion Aikhoje had won a gold medal on board #2) and in the recently concluded Bled tournament, he scored a team-leading 8-3. Besides being a mainstay on Angolan Olympiad teams, he has played in other international tournaments including the prestigious Cappelle La Grande tournament in France and with cherished memories, Sweden where he played his favorite game against GM Lars Karlsson. While the search is still ongoing for that famous game, one can get an idea of Pedro's talent in the following memorable game.  Adiante Pedro!

This interview was conducted 29 October 2002 through Catarino Domingos, 1st board of the Angolan 2002 Olympiad team.

(in front, from left to right) Catarino Domingos (Bd. 1), Amorin Agnelio (Bd. 2), IM Armindo Sousa (Bd. 3) and IM Pedro Aderito (Bd. 4); (in the rear, from left to right) Ediberto Domingos (Bd. 5) and Abilio Ribeiro (Bd. 6), and Manuel Andrade (captain). Photo taken by Jerry Bibuld.