The second qualifiers are always brutal, one has to earn their right to play in the final. Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) secretary general, Mokwadi Tingwane said generally the tournament was a very good one. “Maybe one can say with the exception of Olebile and Otisitswe, who is a national team player, the best performer at the 2022 Chess Olympiad.
It was a serious upset, because at any given day you could not count them out of a final,” he said. The stage is now set for the final, which is scheduled for April 28, 2023. The defending champion in the Open Section is Moakofi Notha and Women’s Section is Woman Candidate Master (WCM), Refilwe Gabatshwarwe. “Indeed the we have a strong final in our hands because we now have International Master Providence Oatlhotse, Candidate Master (CM) Barileng Gaealafshwe, defending champ Moakofi Notha, former national champion CM Thuso Mosutha, former national team player CM Otsile Mapini, current national team player Keletshabile Monnaatsheko, newly crowned FM Gomolemo Rongwane & national team member and the youthful Sebetlela Gaasite,” Tingwana said.
The women’s section also has strong contenders, the defending champion, Gabatshwarwe, WFM Naledi Marape, WCM Natalie Banda, veteran WGM Tuduetso Sabure, WCM Alone and Laone Moshoboro. Metropolitan Life Botswana has been sponsoring the national chess championships for 17 years and this year, the sponsorship stands at P152, 800.00.
The winner of the Open Section walk away P11, 000 richer and the Women’s Section winner will bank P9, 000. The National Championships are it is played three times being first qualifiers where all players across the country partake. The top 23 and 17 from both sections including the defending champions play the second qualifiers where 10 players from both sections qualify for the final. In the finals they play round Robin where all players face each other.
