Chess grandmaster to visit MW
Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov will visit Malawi on July 10, Chess Association of Malawi (Chessam) has announced.
In presss statement released yesterday, Chessam general secretary Leonard Sharra said the 13th World Chess Champion has asked to meet President Joyce Banda to explain to her the key benefits of embracing the mental sport as an educational tool.
According to the statement, Kasparov also plans to introduce a chess initiative in the country’s schools.
Kasparov, who became the youngest player to win the World Chess Championship in 1985, is on a tour of Africa in an attemp to help the continent’s chess federations to raise awareness as regards the role chess plays in education.
He is coming under the sponsorship of his foundation called Kasparov Chess Foundation, whose primary goal is to promote chess as a tool for education and social development.
“Apart from meeting the President, the grandmaster will also meet Chessam executive committee and sports and education authorities. We have forwarded Kasparov’s request for his meeting with the President to the government through Sports Council,” said Sharra.
He added that the renowned figure, who was on TIME’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people, will address a press briefing in Lilongwe after meeting the President and sports officials to outline his mission and plans for the development of chess in Africa and in Malawi, in particular.
According to Sharra, Kasparov’s entourage of seven also has his wife, Dasha, senior businesspersons from USA, UK, Australia, Russia and South Africa.
Kasparov remained the world’s top ranked chess player for 20 years. He is not new to Malawi chess as it is through his foundation’s $6 000 sponsorship that candidate master Chiletso Chipanga and Ellen Mpinganjira will to travel to South Africa for the 2013 Commonwealth and South African Open Championships this weekend.
