By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
ZAMBIA’s envoys at the World Junior Chess Championship in South Africa had a second successive poor run as all five players failed to record a win in round 10.
Unlike in the ninth round where four lost and one won, it was even worse as four lost while one recorded a draw from the five boards where Zambia was involved.
Bwalya Lubuto, the only winner in the ninth round, could not get her magic going, losing to Ella Chernobelsky of Israel and will hope to avoid finishing at the basement of the girls under-14 category when she plays Denise Balane of South Africa in the last round.
In the boy’s under-14 category, Chola Musonda, the best placed Zambian on four points, was defeated by Sheng Ng Jen of Malaysia and will hope to push towards the middle table in the 11th round where he plays Ting-Hao Wang of Taipei.
The youngest Zambian in the contingent, Subilo Chileshe happened to be the face saver for the group as he picked draw against Jaedon Naidu of South Africa to move to 3.5 points.
Chileshe is the second best performing Zambian at the games below Chola (on four points) and can hope to keep up his standing with a win in the last round where he faces Australia’s Xander Leibert, who is also on 3.5 points.
The under-18 category did not bring any good news for the second round running as both Joshua Mulauzi and Isabel Mwewa in the boy’s and girls’ categories respectively both lost.
Mwewa was checkmated by Estonian Mirjam Iher to remain on three points and is on bye in the last round and which should be a free point for her.
For Mulauzi, it was also a second straight defeat as he was beaten by Werner Buys of South Africa and has a 11th round challenge against Motsoko Makhetha of Lesotho.