FM Mwadzura, Makwena Crowned National Chess Champs as FIDE Royalty Graces Zim Finals

THE 2026 Zimbabwe National Chess Championships reached a thundering climax with a historic visit from the upper echelons of world chess, FIDE at Joina City on Friday.

Former national champion FIDE Master Roy Mwadzura and defending champion Christine Makwena emerged as the undisputed winners of the national titles in their respective categories and secured their places at the top of Zimbabwean chess.

The presence of FIDE Deputy Chair and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Dana Reizniece-Ozola added a layer of profound significance to the event. 

In the Open Section, FM Roy Mwadzura demonstrated why he wears the title of FIDE Master. He navigated a treacherous field of elite players to finish with 6.5 points out of nine.

FM Mwadzura’s path to the top was not easy as he edged out defending champion Tapiwa Jele, who then went for second place with 6 points, and multiple national title holder Emarald Takudzwa Mushore, who rounded out the podium with 5.5 points.

The Ladies Section saw Makwena deliver a superb performance, finishing with 7 points to defend the title. 

While Makwena took the spotlight, she faced stiff competition from WFM Linda Dalitso Shaba and WCM Kudzanayi Charinda, who both finished with 5.5 points, though Shaba edged ahead on tie-breaks to take second.

In the last round, the most talked-about encounter of the tournament was a 55-move marathon between Zambian-based Tanaka Dziyanyi with white pieces and Tatenda Ndou of the Mhondoro Chess Club. Engaging in the sharp Caro-Kann Advance Variation, the two players pushed the limits well into the endgame.  

The game reached its tragic crescendo on move 54. Dziyanyi, holding a position that promised victory, committed a catastrophic blunder by thrusting her passed pawn to a5. 

The error allowed Ndou to snatch white’s dark-squared bishop on b4 and unleashed the black king to assault the critical d4 pawn via c3.

This manoeuvre would allow black’s bishop on g7 to attack the d4 pawn with a check to control the vital g1–a7 diagonal, effectively paralysing the white passed pawn’s path to the eighth rank.

The consequences were immediate and severe. 

Dziyanyi reigned.

A win would have catapulted Dziyanyi into second place with 6 points, instead, the loss relegated her to fourth place with 5 points.

The final day gained extra lustre with the arrival of WGM Reizniece-Ozola. Her visit, alongside WIM Anzel Laubscher, signalled a new era for Zimbabwean chess, focusing on the “Triple Mission” of education, social impact, and professional career paths.

During the prize-giving ceremony, WGM Reizniece-Ozola delivered a stirring address to the “queens and kings” of the Zimbabwean game:

“We want to show that chess is a very, very good career path to women and men… not only as a pleasure, as a professional sport, but also as a profession,” she remarked. 

“You are the ambassadors of the sport and the role models. You are the ones at whom the little kids in the schools will look and decide if they want to be like these guys.”

She emphasised that chess is a “powerful tool” for social causes, including programs for refugees, kids in slums, and children with ADHD or autism.

The tournament almost did not happen. Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF) President Todd Mapingire revealed the sponsorship hurdles the federation faced after a major sponsor, CBZ, withdrew just four weeks prior.

“This tournament had a lot of uncertainties,” Mapingire admitted. 

“But I would want to thank the players who actually took the heat not to say no. The players have said, ‘OK, we’ll come forward and still participate even if there’s no prize fund.’ That is a call to action, a sacrifice for the country.”

Mapingire also celebrated the diplomatic breakthroughs achieved during the visit, including a meeting with Hon. Professor Torerai Moyo, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.

The meeting aimed to unlock a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to integrate chess into the national school curriculum.

The top finishers are now focusing on Uzbekistan, where they will represent Zimbabwe at the 46th Chess Olympiad this September. 

As Reizniece-Ozola noted, the Zimbabwean delegation will be joined by the Minister of Education, marking a significant step in the nation’s advocacy for the sport on the international level.

The final rankings for the top five in the Open Section were:

1. FM Roy Mwadzura: 6.5 Points  

2. Tapiwa Jele: 6.0 Points  

3. Emarald Takudzwa Mushore: 5.5 Points  

4. Terrence Mureya: 5.0 Points  

5. Vitalis Mapuranga: 5.0 Points  

Ladies Section (Top 5):

1. Christine Makwena (7 pts)  

2. WFM Linda Dalitso Shaba (5.5 pts)  

3. WCM Kudzanayi Charinda (5.5 pts)  

4. Tanaka Dziyanyi (5 pts)  

5. Carol Ndlovu (5 pts)