By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

TEENAGE sensation, Chola Musonda kept up his push for a second place finish in the boys Under-14 category at the ongoing Africa Youth Chess Championships in Tunisia after defeating Amrou Majdoub of Tunisia in an eighth round game.

The tournament that has four Zambians taking part saw the win taking Musonda up to five points and into joint third position with two other players to be half-a-point away from second placed Adham Kandil of Egypt.

Countryman Fawzy Adhamhas run away with a title as he has a perfect eight points from eight rounds while Musonda was scheduled to play Zayan Mohamed in the next round.

Zambian team leader Joshua Mulauzi slumped from three straight wins to record two straight draws against Andro Wagdy of Egypt and Libyan Mohamed Al Sori in the seventh and eighth rounds respectively in the boy’s Under-18 category.

The two draws threw Mulauzi off balance as it brought him four points, two behind two joint leaders Wagdy and Tunisian Omar Houimel who are on six points and was in the final round pitted against Fekih Firas of Tunisia.

In the boys Under-16 category, Engelbert Malambo checkmated Mahmoud Aloulou of Tunisia in an eighth round match, just after losing to Algerian Lofti Bensadi to get to four points, three adrift of leader Mohamed of Egypt who is on seven points and whom plays in the closing round.

The only female Zambian at the games Lubuto Bwalya picked up a win and a loss in rounds five and six to Nourhene Ben Said of Tunisia and Algerian Lina Nassr respectively.

This saw her points tally get to 2.5, three behind leader Nassr who has yet to lose a game. In the last round, she plays Banouri Ghadha of Tunisia who is on two points.