Africa-Press – Angola. Practiced in 15 of the country’s 18 provinces, this fact constitutes a low point in the action plan of the management of the Angolan Chess Federation (FAX) for the four-year period 2020-24, according to the organization’s leader, Tito Martins.
In an interview, in Luanda, in which he addressed the state of the sport, he said that the provinces of Zaire, Bengo and Cuanza Norte do not develop the “science” sport due to financial difficulties and also due to social development.
The former practitioner, at the end of his term, stated that the provinces of Luanda, Cuanza Sul, Benguela and Cunene are the ones that move the most chess, being the only ones that supply athletes to the National Teams.
Luanda is considered the largest development hub and has several clubs and centers, highlighting the Samba Chess Club, Chess Club (Salú), Chess Club of Rua Vale do Tâmega, the Ditrov Chess School, the Macovi Sport Clube and Escola João Francisco.
With approximately 450 practitioners, Cuanza Sul has a social project, the Casa da Cultura da Ressaca, the Escola de Chess da Cela and Escola do Ebo, in addition to the centers in Porto Amboim, Gabela and Mussende.
In that district, the sport has seen some slowdown, despite being practiced in the municipalities of Sumbe, Porto Amboim, Quibala, Cela and Ebo, with clubs such as Benfica, Ende Kuanza Sul, Mundo Verde and Recreativo do Chingo still existing.
Due to lack of sponsorship, the local association faces difficulties in holding official and private tests.
Tito Martins said that chess dominance already belonged to Benguela during the time of the International Master, Nelson Ferreira, having also produced the absolute champions Ernesto Antunes and Estêvão de Sousa.
The province of Benguela is represented by the clubs Nacional de Benguela, 1.o Maio de Benguela, Académica do Lobito, Sporting de Benguela, Núcleo do Benfica, Núcleo da Cambanda, Núcleo da Damba Maria and Núcleo do 70.
The person in charge recognized that the federation could do more for the sport, but unfortunately the current economic situation does not allow it.
Athlete Renelsa António is one of the most prominent in the province of Cunene, having won the national junior women’s championship, held in September 2022, in Namibe.
She was also national champion in Under-12 (2017), Under-14 (2018 and 2019), national champion in Under-16 and third place in the African Youth Championship (2020). She was national runner-up (2021), participated in the World Championships in Greece (2018) and the Indian Olympics (2022).
The Cunene Provincial Chess Association controls more than 70 chess players.
In total, FAX has 996 practitioners, of which 400 are female, thirteen (13) International Masters and eleven (11) FIDE Masters, of both sexes.
The International Masters in men are: David Silva, Erikson Soares, Amorim Agnelo, Catarino Domingos, Nelson Ferreira, Luciano Oliveira, Eugénio Campos, Alexandre Nascimento, Manuel Mateus, Waldemiro Pina and Armindo de Sousa.
Maria Domingos and Esperança Caxita complete the list of International Masters.
For men, Angola has seven Fide Masters: Sérgio Miguel, Manuel Alberto, Ediberto Domingos, Domingos Júnior, Domingos Paulino, Eduardo Pascual and João Francisco.
In women, Gemima Paulo, Ednásia Júnior, Sónia Rosalina and Luzia Pires have this category, awarded by the International Federation.
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