IM Beukes, Khoa crowned national champions
International Master (IM) Dante Beukes and Lutopu Khoa were crowned national chess champions at the Nictus Cultural Centre in Windhoek on Sunday.
The closed tournament brought together 10 of the country’s finest players in both the Open and women’s sections, who battled it out in a nine-round round-robin format, to choose the final five for the national team.
It also featured a nine-round B-section, allowing players who did not make the top-five cut at the January qualifiers to compete for a winners-only qualifying spot for next year’s nationals.
The top five players from the January qualifiers in both sections advanced to the closed event. They were joined by last year’s top three finishers, the winner of last year’s B-section and the highest-rated player in the country to complete the 10-player field.
Open section champion
Competing in the Open section, IM Beukes went through the first three rounds undefeated, picking up wins over Likius Luka, Candidate Master (CM) Charles Eichab and Louis van Rooyen.
His only defeat came in round four against Bernhard Schwarz. He recovered strongly, defeating CM Otto Nakapunda, Dawid du Toit, Simon Shidolo and CM Goodwill Khoa to stay in contention.
In the final round, he faced Fide Master (FM) Heskiel Ndahangwapo, the reigning and three-time consecutive national champion, with both players tied on seven points.
FM Ndahangwapo had dropped a point in the opening round after failing to show up for his match against CM Eichab, resulting in a forfeit. He then went on a dominant run, winning all his remaining games leading up to the decisive encounter with IM Beukes.
IM Beukes won the final-round clash to secure the national title.
“It was pretty amazing how the pairings were set up [making the two strongest players face each other for the title]. I am very happy to have won this title and enjoyed the tournament very much,” he said.
Fourth national title
The tournament marked IM Beukes’ first appearance at the nationals since winning the title in 2021, before leaving for the United States on a chess scholarship.
He studied English literature at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and graduated last year.
This victory marks his fourth national title. He first won the championship in 2017 at just 14 years old, becoming the country’s youngest champion at the time, and added another title in 2019.
He is now contemplating competing at the Mavens International Open in Kenya later this month, the Moja Extravaganza in South Africa next month and the Africa Individual Championships in Botswana in June.
FM Ndahangwapo claimed silver, while Shidolo secured bronze. The other two players who qualified for the national team are CM Eichab and Schwarz. The men’s B-section winner was Tuhafifa Haipinge.
Women’s champion
In the women’s section, Lutopu Khoa was crowned champion with a near-perfect 8.5 points from nine rounds. Her only draw came in round eight against Keisha van Wyk.
Across the other rounds, Khoa defeated Toini Shikongo, Women’s Fide Master (WFM) Rauha Shipindo, youngest participant Shadah Uanguta (11), Women Candidate Master (WCM) Jolly Nepando, Ehalondina Ekandjo, Helvi Shuudifonya, Juliet Elias and last year’s champion, WCM Jamie-Nicole Beukes.
Khoa, who is now based in Hungary and travelled to compete in the nationals, welcomed the victory.
“I gave it my all, and I am glad that travelling all the way here paid off. I enjoyed the tournament for the most part, as players came prepared and it was well organised,” she said.
Shuudifonya took silver, with WCM Beukes claiming bronze. The remaining national team spots went to WCM Nepando and Uanguta. The women’s B-section winner was Linekela Itembu.
Ready to make country proud
Chess prodigy Uanguta punched above her weight at the event, becoming the country’s youngest-ever national team player at just 11 years old.
The previous record was held by WCM Nicola Tjaronda, who was 13 when she claimed the national title in 2012.
Uanguta’s achievement positions her to represent Namibia at the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan this September.
She welcomed the opportunity and said she would return to training immediately in preparation for the tournament.
“It feels great to be going to the Olympiad as the country’s youngest player. I will be hoping to bring results back from the event for the national team to make the country, myself and my parents proud,” she said.
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