•2014 national champion, Gillian Bwalya (left) makes his move in a seventh-round match against 2015 champion Andrew Kayonde at the ongoing national team selection tournament in Mansa. Picture courtesy of CHESS FEDERATION OF ZAMBIA

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

NATIONAL women chess champion Lorita Mwango and two other players have confirmed their places in the 2016 Zambia chess team after steering clear of the pack at the ongoing 2016 national team selection tournament in Mansa.
With the Chess Federation of Zambia (CFZ) picking just the top five of the 10 women players at the tournament, Mwango is joined into the 2016 national team by Linda Hamoonga and Constance Mbatha with two games to spare.
Mwango is way clear of the rest with 6.5 points from seven rounds, and her present total is unassailable by sixth-placed Maria Banda, who is on 2.5 points.
Hamoonga is a point off in second place on 5.5 points and Mbatha on five points, while Kabanda Bwalya and Lubuto Bwalya, who are on 4.5 and four points, respectively, are occupying fourth and fifth places, but are not yet safe.
Twelve-year-old Banda, Phyllis Mwilola and Naomi Mwale are on 2.5 points with each having a chance of making the top five, while Mercy Kalumba, who has no point, is out of the running.
It is too close to call in the men’s category where as many as four players are sharing the top slot with 4.5 points after seven rounds.
This means that even Musatwe Simutowe and Timothy Kabwe, who are at the bottom with 1.5 points each, still have a chance of making the top five from the remaining two rounds.
The four sharing the top slot are national champion Andrew Kayonde, Richmond Phiri, Daniel Jere and Chitumbo Mwali, who have all conveniently avoided each other in the eighth round playing today.
The biggest beneficiary from the seventh round was Jere, who checkmated Mwali to move to 4.5 points, and coupled with a draw by Kayonde who was playing Gilan Bwalya and then leader Phiri on bye; it was all square for the four.
In the eighth round, Kayonde plays Nyambe Maketo with Phiri up against Kelvin Chumfwa and Jere playing an out-of-sorts Bwalya. Mwali is on bye.