Arthur Ssegwanyi Cruises To Sagewood Chess Cup Triumph

International Master Arthur Ssegwanyi drew little sweat as he raced to the Sagewood Chess Cup over the weekend.

The No.1 seed in East Africa headlined the inaugural edition of the Sagewood Cup that pawned off on Thursday, and as predicted, he outwitted everyone to the Cup.

The rated 2357 beat all his opponents except Fide Master Haruna Nsubuga who he drew with in the sixth round. His display earned him 7.5 points, and ultimately the trophy.

Like Ssegwanyi, Nsubuga didn’t lose any a game, but his draw against the champion and the subsequent one against Candidate Master Emmanuel Egesa could only score him 7 points and the second position.

Despite losing to Ssegwanyi in the fifth round, Egesa’s display earned him the last podium position. The rated 2112 recorded 6.5 points.

Sana Omprakash Kayyar, one of the only three ladies that competed in the Open section, came 20th, but she staged an upset in the sixth round. Omprakash clobbered CM Emmanuel Musasizi in that round.

In the ladies category, three players; the reigning national champion, WCM Shakira Ampaire, the country’s former No.1 and youngster Patience Atella all tied at 6.5 points, but Ampaire, with a better tiebreaker clinched the trophy.

Ampaire lost to Nakabo in the fourth round, but her win against Atella in the last round coupled with Nakabo’s draw against Patricia Kawuma in the final round handed her the trophy.

Kawuma- who is the current No.1 seed in the country, and who had been a title favourite prior the competition finished fourth. Her loss to Safinah Mugide in the second round and another to Atella in the following round proved damaging.

Mugide scored the same number of points with Kawuma-5.5, but a tiebreaker placed her a position below the No.1 seed.