FM Joseph Mwale, Malawi’s highest-rated player (2151), took gold with 7 points out of 9 rounds.
Priyasha Shriyan, who is only 16 years old, dominated the Women’s section and won it with 8/9, two points ahead of the runner-up. It is the second time she has won the Malawi Championship. The first time was in 2020.
The National Chess Championship of Malawi took place at the Grand Palace Hotel in Mzuzu from 14th to 18th April 2022.
Twenty-six players battled it out in the Open and 13 in the Women’s category.
The event served as a qualification for the 44th Chess Olympiad scheduled for Chennai later in the year. The top 5 players in each category made it to the national team.
CM Alfred Chimthere, the 2020 Malawi National Champion, ended in a joint third position with 6 points or fifth in the ranking.
Unlike Kenya, which has an open National Championship, Malawi has a more competitive two-stage process.
Malawi has three regions, namely the South, Central and Northern region. In these regions, qualifiers take place in which the top 8 players from each section qualify for the National Championship.
Then seeded to the National Championship are the previous year’s champion and a Presidential nominee.
Prize fund
FM Joseph Mwale went home with the top prize of MWK 250,000 (or USD 300) plus a laptop. The total prize fund in the Open section was MWK 825,000 (USD 1,000).
Priyasha Shriyan, on the other hand, took home MWK 200,000 (USD 250) plus a tablet. The total prize fund in this section was MWK 5550,000 (USD 700).
The prizes in the open category were as follows;
1. MK250,000 + Laptop
2. MK200,000 + Tablet
3. MK150,000 + Tablet
4. MK100. 000
5. MK75,000
6. MK50,000
Women category;
1. MK200.000 + Tablet
2. MK150,000 + Tablet
3. MK75,000
4. MK50,000
5. MK50,000
6. MK30,000
DGT Boards
Equally impressive is that the Chess Association of Malawi hosted the event with ten DGT boards in the Open section and six in the Ladies section.
The event’s sponsors included Heko Technologies, MRA, M1 Electronics, Grand Palace Hotel and the Malawi National Sports Council.
Open section
Ladies section
2022 Malawi National Chess Championship on chess-results.com
PGNs from Open section of 2022 Malawi National Championship.
PGNs from Ladies section of 2022 Malawi National Championship.
CM Alfred Chimthere wins the 2020 Malawi Championship.
FM Joseph Mwale wins 2018 Mdina Chess Championship.
IM Chitumbo Mwali wins 2017 Malawi Open Chess Championship.
