Woman Candidate Master Sana Omprakash Kayyar has etched her name in the history books after becoming the first woman from the East African region to cross the 1900 levels in the Fide rankings.
This development follows Fide’s August ratings that were released earlier on Thursday.
This comes after her remarkable display in the recently concluded African Amateurs Individual Chess Championships in Bujumbura, Burundi where she scooped gold in the women’s section in the U2300 category.
Alongside Fide Master Haruna Nsubuga- the overall winner, Omprakash competed in the highly competitive U2300 category and returned 5.5 points.
The 16-year-old entered the tournament rated 1880, but she finished fourth overall ahead of three players rated above her including Kenyan veteran, Candidate Master Ben Magana.
With 5.5 points, the reigning national junior champion finished two points clear of second placed Phyllis Namasiku who won silver.
Uganda has in recent times produced an admirable pool of talented women including the golden generation of WFM Ivy Amoko, WFM Christine Namaganda, WFM Goretti Angolikin, WFM Grace Kigeni and Joyce Kabengano.
The quintet held firmly Uganda’s flag at the various Olympiads they took part in, but none ever reached the 1900 level. The closest anyone of them came to that level was Amoko who crossed to 1800 in her prime.
With her new rating (1937), Omprakash is now ranked No.1 in Uganda in the ladies and 32nd overall. She leads Peninah Nakabo- who’s ranked 2nd by a whopping 71 points.
The post Chess: Uganda’s Sana Breaks 1900-rank Jinx appeared first on Live from ground.https://sportsnation.co.ug/2024/08/01/chess-ugandas-sana-breaks-1900-rank-jinx/