THE 2025 Minerva Zimbabwe Open Chess Championship is at its midpoint, and local players are seizing the spotlight.
As the fifth round rolls around Friday on 6th floor Joina City in Harare, Zimbabwean players hold all of the top five boards in the prestigious Open A section.
On the top board, national champion Tapiwa Jele will face Zambia’s Justin Daka. Both are unbeaten with 3.5 points. A win here could swing the championship as it heads toward the final rounds.
The second board carries its own weight. Tanaka Katsande of Chitown Masters meets Zambia’s Timothy Kabwe. Both are unbeaten and hungry to close in on the title.
Board three sees FIDE Master Roy Mwadzura testing young gun Prosper Matyire. Board four features veteran Spencer Masango, who stunned tournament top seed Zambian IM Gillan earlier, taking on Kiddy Makwaya.
On board five, former national champion Emarald Mushore plays fellow Zimbabwean Bright Moyo.
For many players, this is the stage where title dreams are sharpened or slip away.
In the Open B section, the battle is tight. Three players still hold perfect scores. On board one, Tinodaishe Tayengwa faces Simbarashe Chikoya, both undefeated. On board two, Tawanda Moyo meets Grant Chimwai in another key clash. How these three finish will likely decide the section’s champion.
The women’s event is no less intense. WCM Kudzanayi Charinda, perfect so far, squares off against Zimbabwe’s reigning women’s champion Christine Makwena, who has 3.5 points. This clash is likely to set the pace for the rest of the tournament.
Board two pits Linda Shaba against Botswana’s Phoebe Mashoboro. On board three, WFM Natalie Banda, still bouncing back from her loss to Charinda, meets South Africa’s Kagol Naidoo.
Overseeing all of it is International Arbiter James Vhezha, ensuring the tournament runs to the high standards expected of a FIDE-rated event.
