Mwale wins gold in SA chess tourney
South Africa-based chess gladiator Joseph Mwale was on song last weekend when he won individual gold that came with R5 000 (K220 000) prize during the ‘Rainbow Nation’ Inter-Regional Chess Championships in Cape Town.
South Africa’s best players took part in the week-long team competition that comprised over 80 players from that country’s 21 regions and the former national champion, who represented Durban on board one, nailed it when he won all his five games.
Although his team finished on position nine, his individual effort as board one best player was worth a standing ovation and it was no surprise to see him being interviewed on South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (Sabc) 3 television channel.
“It feels great to achieve such a success. I would say this was my best performance ever because I managed a performance rating of 2643 just like a super grand master,” said Mwale, who is Malawi’s second highest rated player.
Currently, Mwale is serving Chess Association of Malawi’s (Chessam) two-year-ban which prevents him from taking part in international competitions until 2017. However, the 21-year-old managed to contest in the South African event because he did it as that country’s local player.
Chessam imposed the ban on Mwale and his compatriots Joseph Nyambalo and Vitumbiko Gondwe for boycotting the 2014 African Chess Championships in Namibia. They boycotted the event in protest to the local chess governing body’s delay to give them their allowances.
Meanwhile, Mwale is fighting for his freedom and that of his compatriots at the High Court in Lilongwe where he is seeking for an injunction on the suspension so as to enable them to contest in the World Chess Olympiad Qualifiers in March.
