Malawian Chiletso Chipanga participating as World Chess Amateurs start in Italy
Malawi’s National Chess Champion, Chiletso Chipanga, who is the Africa Amateurs gold medalist, landed in Cagliari, Italy on Saturday to begin his quest for top honours at the World Amateurs Chess Championship which started on Sunday and continues for the next seven days.
Proud products of Southern Region Chess League, Sanga (left); Malawi Sports Junior Sportsperson of the Year, Ngugama (centre), runner-up for Best Non Citizen Sports Administrator and Chiletso the African Amateurs champion
This is the second time for a Malawi chess player to participate at the World Amateurs — the first being Fide Master Gerald Mphungu in 2014 in Singapore where he ended on position 14.
Chiletso stunned everyone at the African Amateur that took place in Livingstone, Zambia last month when he won the gold medal with a round to spare, booking himself a ticket to World Amateurs in Italy.
He was declared champion after winning eight out of nine rounds, a point clear of his runner-up, Leslie Chikuse of Zambia, whom he had also beaten in another round.
According to Chess Association of Malawi (Chessam) publicity secretary Makhosi Nyirenda, if Chiletso wins the event, he will fly back home 10,000 euros richer.
This is not the first time that the 2006 and 2007 Malawi Junior Champion has represented the country. He has has the record of qualifying for World Chess Olympiad the most number of times — in 2008 (Germany), 2010 (Russia), 2012 (Turkey), 2014 (Norway), 2016 (Azerbaijan) and 2018 (Georgia).
At junior level he has been to Africa Juniors in Angola in 2008 and in Botswana in 2006.
This makes him Malawi’s most capped player and he is Malawi’s Olympiad all time leading scorer and earned the title of Candidate Master 2008 in Germany.
He is the 2018 and 2014 Malawi Champion and has been its runner-up in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
Other titles inclube being Mdina Champion in 2012, Muleso Mphande Open Champion 2015, Paul-Mike Champion (2013 and 2015).
