Renowned car dealers Mike, Appel & Gatto has offered K150 000 (about $3 750) for a day-long Southern Region Chess League (SRCL) Rapid Tournament through their brand Isuzu KB.
According to the company’s marketing consultant Sam Chibaka, they have decided to sponsor the competition, which will take place at Shire Highlands Hotel in Limbe, Blantyre on February 22, to mould fast strategic thinkers, especially among the youth.
“Chess is a sport for great minds as it promotes strategic thinking among individuals. We need more strategic thinkers to develop the country and we know this sport is a breeding ground for such talented individuals,” he said.
The Isuzu KB contest will be the second rapid chess tournament to be conducted in the country after the Bumas Rapid Chess Tournament last year.
This is the fifth sponsorship the local chess fraternity has secured from the corporate world and individuals in the past three years.
Before the five sponsorships, Lab Enterprises were the only notable corporate sponsors of the game.
SRCL publicist Makhosi Nyirenda said the Isuzu KB sponsorship has come at a time when the league is working tirelessly to keep players in good shape ahead of the national championships finals in Lilongwe from March 1-3.
“It is also a clear sign that the corporate world is impressed with the way we organise chess competitions. We thank God for the blessing,” Nyirenda said.
Rapid chess is a unique form of the mental sport in which players are allocated lesser time per game than that given at normal competitions to enhance intuition and fast thinking.
Each player on the chess board is allocated 15 to 30 minutes per match.
According to Nyirenda, they will announce the breakdown of the prize money and registration fees for the competition soon after their meeting this weekend.
One of Mike, Appel and Gatto customers Andrew Chifumbi has offered an extra K20 000 (about $50) for the winner.
