shloboe boe
Brandon Moyo, [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF) has released its calendar of events for 2025 with a number of high profile events, both local and international lined up.
There are over 40 events on the calendar with the first one pencilled in for the beginning of February.
The Kadoma open rapid chess tournament will get the season up and running and next on the calendar is an online National Arbiters training workshop. The Crystal Candy district schools chess championship is the third event on the calendar and will be followed by the Youth Day chess championship. Action will then move to the international stage with the World Junior Under-20 championship which is scheduled to run from February 23 to March 8 in Petrovac, Montenegro.
Some of the events on the calendar include CBZ national championship (March 11 to 15), FIDE World School Championship (March 19 to March 29), National Youth and Cadet Chess Championship, Easter Open chess championship.
The CABS Candidates also returns this year alongside the Minerva International open chess championship.
There are also a number of seminars lined up for the year.
The Harare Open chess championship is the last event of the year and is scheduled for December 20 to 22.
Speaking to Zimpapers Sports Hub, ZCF communications and public relations director, Agab Dozva said they are looking forward to an entertaining year of chess.
“We are so excited as the Zimbabwe Chess Federation because we have unveiled our 2025 calendar of events and it is a powerfully packed year with over 17 events spread across the country that are going to take place starting from training workshops for arbiters.
“This is going to be an online workshop and then we have the Crystal Candy district schools chess championships that is also starting in February and this will be played across the districts and we do have the youth day chess championship as well on the 21st of February, which will be a public holiday in Zimbabwe,” said Dozva.
He expressed his gratitude to the sponsors for staying through and offering a helping hand.
“Crystal Candy has also partnered with us this year as was the case last year and we are excited that they have continued to sponsor chess at the grassroots level. We are very excited for that and we are also thanking CBZ and Minerva risk advisers together with CABS Bank who sponsored us last year and are back this year,” said Dozva.
He said the federation was committed to growing the game of chess in the country .
The CBZ national chess championship, scheduled for March 11 to 15 is one of the biggest prestigious tournaments in the country because this is the tournament that seeks to get a national champion and also to formulate the national team.
“We also have the Easter Open chess championship, the Minerva international open tournament and the CABS candidates tournament, which is played in Bulawayo in December,” said Dozva.
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