Mphungu finishes 13th at World Amateur Chess

National Chess champion Gerald Mphungu has taken 13th position out of 164 contestants at the World Amateur Chess Championships in Singapore, The Nation has learnt from Chess Association of Malawi (Chessam) publicity secretary Gilton Mkumbwa.

He becomes the country’s third highest ranked player.

The 22-year-old chess gladiator, who finished the nine-round tournament on Saturday with 7.5 points from six victories, two losses and a draw, has entered the rating list at 2 036. Joseph Nyambalo is Malawi’s top-ranked player at 2 115 followed by Chiletso Chipanga at 2 048.

Mphungu also emerged among the best three African players at the contest. Africa was represented by almost 20 athletes from the continent’s five countries. Overall, 39 countries took part in the week-long competition.

However, the competition exposed the yawning gap of talent between Malawi and other countries as Mphungu, who pursues a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the Polytechnic, lost to an 11-year-old Indian whiz-kid in the seventh round.

Mphungu’s defeat prompted South Africa-based candidate master Richard Mbedza to remind government and other stakeholders on the need to take the sport seriously by making it as a subject in the local education syllabus.

Mbedza wrote on Play Chess Malawi Facebook page two days ago: “Hard luck ‘General’ (Mphungu’s nickname). I understand losing to an 11-year-old is something you do not want. People must understand that this boy is from India and his coach is a grandmaster. Let me tell you that if you become an IM (International Master) in that country, government gives you a house and a job. Chess is a subject in India.”

Mkumbwa said Mphungu put up a brilliant fight considering that this was his first appearance at the international.