All is set for the 2023 CBZ National Chess Championship.

The CBZ National Chess Championship will be held from the 14th to the 18th of December 2023. This was announced by the Zimbabwe Chess Federation in a notice to its affiliates on Tuesday. The tournament which will feature two sections: the Open section and the women’s section will be sponsored by the financial giant CBZ Holdings hence it has been dubbed The CBZ National Chess Championship.

In the same communication, the National Board gazetted the list of players invited to participate in the much-anticipated event. Among the players invited are the country’s two IMs: Farai Mandizha and Rodwell Makoto who will battle it out with the 2023 Minerva Zim Open winner FM Zhemba Jemuse, and other talented players such as FM Roy Mwadzura, Vitalis Mapuranga, Spencer Masango and Emerald Mushore. Mugove Muririma will have a seat at this year’s event as the winner of the 2022 CABS Candidates tournament.

The 2023 CBZ National Chess Championship women’s section will see the country’s top seed WCM Kudzanayi Charinda battling it out with club teammate WCM Refiloe Mudodo leading a pack of other equally charged contenders in the form of Linda Shaba, Mdina Lusaka Open winner Christine Makwena, Tatenda Zengeni and Colleta Wakuruwarewa among others.

What is the National Chess Championship?

The National Chess Championship is an annual tournament organised by ZCF. It brings together the country’s top 10 players into two sections: the open and women’s sections. The players are selected by the ZCF Players Commission based on players’ playing strength as reflected by current ratings and performance in recent tournaments. This event is often used to determine who will represent the country at the Chess Olympiad.