Uanguta earns WCM title on Olympiad debut
Namibia’s chess prodigy Shadah Uanguta returned from her first Chess Olympiad with the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title after collecting 4.5 points from eight games at the 46th edition in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The achievement adds another milestone to a breakthrough year for Uanguta, who finished fifth in the women’s section at the national championships in Windhoek in March to become Namibia’s youngest national team player at just 11 years old.
She broke the previous record held by WCM Nicola Tjaronda, who was 13 when she claimed the national title in 2012, while adding the girls’ U12 national title at the same event.
Uanguta arrived on Tuesday from the Central Asian showpiece, which ran from 15 to 27 September at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre.
She could not hide her elation at the achievement, which she admitted “feels amazing” and came as a surprise she is still trying to wrap her head around.
“Every round was a battle. I didn’t expect myself to do so well and play so strongly on the global stage. Sitting at the board under that level of pressure and making it happen still feels like a wonderful surprise,” she told Sport Wrap yesterday.
Uanguta further noted that she was “so proud” to bring her maiden title back to the local chess community and present it to the country.
“[This] proves that even if you’re young, hard work and focus can take you anywhere,” said Uanguta.
Direct route to WCM
Uanguta’s 56.3% return was enough to secure the WCM title through the International Chess Federation’s (Fide) direct-title regulations.
According to Fide’s Table for Direct Titles, a player at the Women’s Chess Olympiad must score at least 50% from a minimum of seven games to earn the WCM title.
The Olympiad is also exempt from the usual 1800 standard rating floor attached to direct WCM titles, meaning Uanguta, who entered the tournament with a 1551 rating, did not have to reach that threshold.
Her eight appearances on board four yielded four victories, one draw and three defeats, while she produced a performance rating of 1754. All three of Uanguta’s defeats came against titled players rated above 2000.
She faced Argentina’s 2186-rated Woman Fide Master (WFM) Ernestina Adam, El Salvador’s 2034-rated Woman International Master (WIM) Sonia Zepeda and Jordan’s 2080-rated WIM Ruba Al-Qudah.
‘No easy rounds’
Uanguta admitted the jump from competing against Namibia’s leading players to sitting across the board from seasoned international opposition was among the biggest lessons of her first Olympiad.
“The level of competition at the Olympiad was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. [I walked] into a room full of some of the best minds from around the world. Every single round [felt] like a masterclass in focus and endurance,” she noted.
She further highlighted that “there were no easy rounds”, as every opponent, whether titled or not, fought passionately for their flag.
Among the things that impressed her most on one of the sport’s biggest stages were the patience and calculation speed of her opponents and their ability to punish inaccuracies.
“If you miscalculate a tactical line by just one move, they see it instantly and squeeze the position,” she said.
She also came away with her head held high from the respect she was shown by her opposition over 64 squares.
“Even though my opponents were much older and more experienced than me, they treated me with total seriousness as a competitor, which I found amazing. They also taught me that mindset and resilience are just as important as chess tactics.”
Away from the openings and endgames, the youngster also got a taste of Uzbekistan with her teammates.
“I enjoyed walking around and seeing the massive, colourful tilework on the ancient buildings. My favourite thing to do was exploring the beautiful, historic city of Samarkand,” she said.
Women finish 155th
Another Olympiad debutant, Helvi Shuudifonya, was Namibia’s other leading scorer in the women’s section with 4.5 points from ten games.
WCM Jolly-Joice Nepando collected 2.5/8, while WCM Jamie-Nicole Beukes and Lutopu Khoa both finished with 2.5/9.
Namibia ended the 11-round Swiss-system event in 155th place among 189 teams, having accumulated eight match points.
China dethroned defending champions India to win the women’s gold medal and Vera Menchik Cup unbeaten, with nine match victories and two draws. Kazakhstan claimed silver, while India settled for bronze on tiebreaks.
Beukes holds fort on board one
In the Open section, Namibia’s highest-rated player and only International Master (IM), Dante Beukes, held the fort on board one throughout all 11 rounds to finish as the team’s leading scorer with 6.5 points.
Among his results were draws against two Grandmasters (GMs), holding Romania’s 2644-rated Bogdan-Daniel Deac in the opening round before splitting the point with Paraguay’s 2543-rated Guillermo Vazquez in round three.
The 2324-rated Namibian picked up his third draw in the final round against Somalia’s Candidate Master (CM) Mohamed Abdulkadir, having already recorded five victories during the campaign.
Fide Master (FM) Leonhard Mueller and Namibia Chess Federation president CM Charles Eichab were brought into the playing line-up after CM Goodwill Khoa and CM Otto Nakapunda were denied visas on arrival and could not compete.
Mueller finished as Namibia’s second-highest scorer with 5.5/10, followed by Eichab with 3.5/7 and Simon Shidolo with 2.5/8.
Bernhard Schwarz endured a tougher outing with one point from eight games, his lone victory coming in round four against Bahamas’ Phillip Hanna Jr.
Namibia eventually placed 158th in the Open section, which featured 206 teams from 204 nations.
Hosts Uzbekistan gave the home crowd the ultimate celebration by winning Open gold, ahead of previous champions India and third-placed Germany.
