HARARE - Some of the leading top chess players from across the world are set to grace the Zimbabwe Chess Open tournament set to start on Easter Friday.
The tournament is divided into the two categories namely the Prestige section and the Open section.
The Prestige section will encompass highly rated chess players while those who are not selected will automatically be registered to participate in the Open event.
Elton Mangarai, the Zimbabwe Chess Federation tournament director, said: “The Zimbabwe Open as usual is an international tournament. We expect players from Zambia, Botswana, South Africa and Grand Master Sergey Kasparov from Europe has confirmed.
“There was also interest from Mozambique and Malawi players, but we are yet to confirm the number of players they will be bringing. In total we are expecting about 200 players to grace the tournament.”
Zimbabwe will pin their hopes on top local player Rodwell Makoto, who failed to participate in various tournaments last year as he was finishing his studies in South Africa.
Makoto will be hoping to rediscover his fine form which saw him winning gold in the Capablanca Chess festival in South Africa in 2012 before coming first in the South Africa Open tournament, where he beat grand masters from China and France.
Makoto then finished first at the Kwazulu Natal Spring Championships in August the same year.
He signed off the year by finishing in position 18 in the 40th Olympiad Chess tournament in Turkey.
Other top local chess players to look out for at the tournament include Castro Sibanda, Spencer Masango and Dyon Moyo.
In the women category, Zimbabwe will look up to Tatenda Zengeni, Colleta Wakuruwarehwa and Nomalungelo Mathe.