Fide dangles 15 scholarships for chess players

Local chess players who want to advance their studies have every reason to celebrate as the World Chess Federation (Fide) has committed 15 spaces for Malawi on their scholarship budget for various degree programmes in the 2016 academic year.

According to Chess Association of Malawi (Chessam) president Kezzie Msukwa Fide provides such scholarships to encourage youths from developing countries to work hard at school and in chess.

Currently, three Malawian chess players are in Russia pursuing various degree programmes having won Fide scholarship in September last year.

The three are Adrian Mhango who is studying for sociology, Misheck Nyirenda (engineering) and Emmanuel Kaluwa (theology).

“We sent three chess players last year under the same Fide scholarship programme. We thank God for such outright opportunity.

“We are now encouraging our chess players to apply for these scholarships,” Msukwa told The Nation on Monday.

The Chessam president said application forms for the scholarship are available for download on its website: malawi.fide.com/event.

Msukwa said these scholarships will be made available annually.

“Apart from our players getting good education, Msukwa hopes that the provision of scholarship to Russia will improve their skills thereby improve our ranking,” he said.