EULOGY FOR FATHER DAMIAN GRIMES

Celebrating the life of Father Grimes 1931 to 2024 a visionary leader.

The Uganda Chess Community joins the nation to honor the extraordinary life of Father Damien
Grimes, the former Headmaster of Namasagali College, left an indelible mark on Uganda’s
chess community. His charitable work in sports is well-known, and countless stories highlight his
commitment to nurturing young talent.

In the 1980s and late 2000s, the period before he left Uganda, Rev. Father Grimes dedicated
himself to bringing young chess players from various schools across the country to Namasagali
College in Kamuli at the end of each school’s first term. Many players waited eagerly to travel
annually on trucks from places like Jinja College, Kings College Buddo, St Mary’s College
Kisubi, Ndejje, Mwiri, etc., all thanks to his support for both the game and the students.
This initiative is partly responsible for the deep chess culture in Uganda. Almost all top chess
players or national team chess players today have gone through the National Schools Chess
competition that was started by Father Grimes in the early 1980s. It is a place for nurturing talent
& identifying talent. Father was a visionary. Today Uganda is a regional Chess powerhouse and a
top chess-playing nation in Africa.

To honor his legacy, in 2017, the Uganda Chess Federation renamed the National Schools Chess
Championship in his name, expanding it also to include primary schools. The Chess in Education
initiative has significantly contributed to Uganda winning the Africa Schools Chess
Championship in 2019, along with several Master titles for our young players over the years. Just
yesterday 25th September 2024, our national teams returned from the 45th Chess Olympiad in
Budapest, where we collected the Schools Excellence Award won at the World Schools Chess
Championship in Kazakhstan.

In recognition of his contributions, the Uganda Chess Federation presented him with a Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2020, which our patron, H.E Dr. Patrick Bitature, delivered to him at his
retirement home in the UK. Father Grimes’ influence on Ugandans is profound, both directly
and indirectly.

Several people were inspired by the initiative of chess in Education, so many chess titles have
been won and the government of Uganda has also adopted the duo curriculum in schools, a testament
that the Rev. Father Damian Grimes (RIP) was a visionary leader.

Many like myself did not know Father Grimes personally but we all seem to share a connection
to the legacy of Father Grimes in some way. As chess players, we value his significant role in
advancing chess in Uganda. Personally, I feel a special bond with his legacy because my mother
attended Namasagali College during his tenure. Additionally I also greatly admire Father Grimes
for being awarded an MBE (Member of British Empire) for his missionary efforts, a recognition
that reminds me of my great-great-grandfather, A Rwot of the Acholi Chiefdom, a legendary
figure in the Uganda and a distinguished Chief who also received the MBE for his contributions
to the formation of Uganda. Father Grimes’ honor as an MBE highlights his remarkable impact
throughout the country.
We celebrate a man whose efforts have fostered a vibrant chess culture in Uganda, helping our
nation rise as the African Chess powerhouse. Uganda is the 2024 reigning Africa Amateur
Chess Champions in both ladies & men’s Chess- a record set in Uganda as the first sport to hold
both titles for both genders. Uganda is also the number one country in Gender Equality in Africa
& no. 3 in the world. Chess in Uganda today is among the top sports federations in Uganda (top
10 most complaint sports, Tier 4 federation ranked together with Boxing, Netball, Table tennis
, etc. Although he supported various sports, including; football, swimming, and boxing, it is in
chess that his impact resonates most strongly.

As we mourn the loss of this remarkable chess icon, let us instead celebrate the countless lives he
touched, especially those of children and families throughout Uganda.
The decision to return his body to Uganda for burial is commendable and will significantly
influence the Ugandan chess community. Similar to how chess players worldwide visit the grave
of the renowned tactician Rashid Nezhmetdinov Gibyatovich in Kazan, Russia (considered the
originator of modern chess tactics), the Ugandan chess team felt compelled to visit his tomb
during the BRICS games in Kazan in June 2024. This demonstrates the enduring impact of such
figures on the chess world. Father Grimes’s grave shall become a place of pilgrimage for chess
lovers.

Farewell, dear Father, your love and wisdom for chess will forever guide the Chess Community.
(Come lets reason together)
For God and my country.

Eng. Mwaka Emmanuel
President of Uganda Chess Federation
+256782083657