Since its inception, chess at the African Games and the African Individual Chess Championship has been a platform where several young players have announced themselves on the continental stage. With chess at the African Games and the 2024 African Individual Chess Championship ending, here are some of the youngsters who stood out and left their mark.
Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo and Aina Mahasambatra Tsinjoviniavo
In their country’s second appearance in chess at the African Games the Madagascan pair was undoubtedly one of the best revelations at the 13th edition of the African Games.
The duo caught everyone’s attention with their solid performance clinching a well-deserved bronze medal in the mixed-team rapid event becoming the youngest players to win a medal in chess at the African Games.
Fy Rakotomaharo aged 25 and Aina youngest player in the tournament at 12 years performed quite well in the rapid competition finishing 6th and 10th respectively.
In the blitz men event, Rakotomahoro emerged as the silver medal winner accumulating eight points out of nine with a defeat against GM Bassem Amin of Egypt.
In the African Individual Chess Championship, Fy Rakotomaharo concluded the championships in 9th position whilst his colleague Aina was in position 20.
By winning their country first first-ever medals in chess at the African Games the pair has been tipped to make more history for Madagascar chess.
WCM Natalie Katlo Banda
Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Natalie Katlo Banda comes across as calm and collected but on the chess board, she is a fierce competitor.
In her first Africa Games appearance 17-year-old WCM Natalie Banda was relatively unknown and was not expected to be a key player.
But all that changed when she played in the mixed team rapid alongside her partner FM Gomolemo Rongwane after finishing 7th. A huge mark for a pair that entered the competition ranked 11th.
Despite a rather difficult outing in the women’s rapid, Natalie’s attributes were better served in the women’s blitz where she finished 4th missing a podium finish after a tie-breaker was applied. Banda registered massive victories against WGM Shahenda Wafa (Egypt), WIM Jesse February (South Africa), Peninah Nakabo ( Uganda), Nadezhda Valerevna Marochkina (Senegal) and Getrude Banini (Ghana) only recording defeats against the eventual gold medal winner WIM Lina Nassr (Algeria), WFM Ednasia Junior (Angola) and Peace Samson (Nigeria)
At the 2024 African Individual Championships, Natalie concluded the championship on position 12 hoarding 5 points out of a possible 9.
Banda has thrust herself into the spotlight and could soon be one of the continent’s shining stars.
WFM Ednasia Junior and Jemima Paulo
WFM Ednasia Junior will probably tell her grandkids about the 2023 African Games and the 2024 African Individual Chess Championship.
The 22-year-old made history after she became the first Angolan woman to win a medal in chess at the African Games after she won a silver medal in the women’s rapid event with 4,5 points having suffered her only defeat in round four against WGM Shahenda Wafa and a draw against WCM Marie Yavo Tchetche (Ivory Coast).
She finished 5th in the women’s blitz event with 5,5 points. In the African Individual Chess Championship, Junior finished 10th.
Despite only featuring for Angola in the AICC, 17-year-old Jemima Paulo showed us what can be achieved by hard work and dedication concluding the championship in 6th position.
FM Banele Mhango
FM Banele Mhango 21 of South Africa also left their mark at the African Games and Africa Individual Chess Championship. Mhango emerged as the bronze medal winner in the men’s blitz event.
At the African Individual Chess Championship, Mhango finished 5th.
Deborah Ebimobo-Ere Quickpen
Nigerian teenage Deborah Ebimobo-Ere Quickpen proved to the continent why she was her country’s youngest chess champion. The 12-year-old was the only player who handed 2024 women’s champion WIM Jesse February a defeat and played a draw against WGM Shahenda Wafa and Peninah Nakabo.
She concluded the championship in 4th position with six points. She might have missed a podium finish but her performance will be a testimony of her bright future and depth in the years to come.
P.S. There is no universally agreed international definition of youngster or youth age group. For the article’s sake, however, the writer without prejudice to any definitions defines youth and youngster as those persons between the age of 15 and 24 years