Malawi chess team ranked 144 globally
Rankings released by world chess governing body, Fide, on Friday last week show that Malawi has moved up four places to 144 in the world and 22 in while Lesotho is at the bottom on position 164.
The rankings, which are based on the average rating of top 10 players of a particular country, place Russia on position one.
Russia has 227 Grand Masters (GMs), 504 International Masters (IMs) and 2 245 titles while second-placed Ukraine has 83 GMs, 96 IMs with 507 titles.
The rankings, according to Fide website http://ratings.fide.com/topfed.phtml, put Egypt as Africa’s number one and 48 in the world having three GMs, 28 IMs and 62 titles.
Morocco is second in Africa but 69 in the world, it has five IMs and 20 titles.
Malawi top 10 chess players of Joseph Nyambalo, Chiletso Chipanga, Joseph Mwale, Charles Chimthere, Richard Mbedza, Petros Mfune, Chuma Mwala, Gerald Mphungu, Paul Khuphwatheya and Francis Banda are yet to win the title.
The international titles include GMs, Woman Grand Master, IMs, Fide Master and Woman Fide Master.
Malawi Chess Association (Chessam) president Kezzie Msukwa who is in Tromso, Norway taking part in the 85th Fide International congress admitted the team’s low ranking, saying the body is doing everything possible to change the situation.
“The good thing is that our national team is still active. Currently, it is participating in the World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway where I am sure we will be able to get a good rank and be within top 100 teams,” said Msukwa.
According to Msukwa, four women and four men have been selected to participate in this 14-day 2014 World Chess Olympiad.
