UGANDA AT THE BAKU, AZERBAIJAN FIDE WORLD CUP 29TH JULY 2023 TO 25 AUGUST 2023

We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and enthusiasm. We are
thrilled to share some remarkable highlights (a full report will follow shortly) from the
Chess world cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, and express our appreciation to all who made this
journey possible.
The Uganda Chess Federation, under the leadership of Eng. Mwaka Emmanuel, took
pride in ensuring that every detail was attended to. It’s with immense pleasure that we
announce that all expenses for our participant FM Haruna Nsubuga at the Chess World
Cup were covered. This includes air ticket, fullboard accommodation at the Marriott
Boulevard, visa and inland transport within the host country etc.

Our participation at the Chess World Cup was an honor and yet another opportunity to
fly the Uganda Flag and show case talent out of Africa. We extend our thanks to every
player who represented their country at the world cup especially our coach GM Timur
Garyeav the record holder of blind fold chess from the Genius Book of World Records.
It was a source of immense pride that Uganda stood among the top chess playing nations
in the world together with the few African Nations at the event.
Uganda (IM Arthur Ssegwanyi) was first at this event in 2015 and got a draw against
Netherland’s Anish Giri, then in 2021 drew against India’s GM Nihal Sarin and now
Uganda’s FM Haruna Nsubuga secured yet another draw against France’s Moussard
Joules. It is notable that Haruna played exceptionally well and had a huge advantage over
his opponent making this the best showing for Uganda at the chess world cup and the
closest Uganda has come to securing a win and a tie break or qualification to the next
stage. The game was the longest in Round one and the last to end on match day one. This
drew lots attention to Uganda’s FM Haruna Nsubuga who managed to announce himself
on the big stage in a big way. Uganda was later knocked out in the following rounds, a
reminder that at this level chess is brutal and one has to take his chances. Kudos to FM
Haruna Nsubuga for the brilliant display!! We are immensely proud of the performance,
underscoring our commitment to excellence.

Furthermore we value the invaluable experience gained at the chess World Cup and wish
to express our gratitude to the organizers at the FIDE Chess World Cup and our gracious
hosts, the Azerbaijan Chess Federation. Special thanks to the FIDE MD Dana Ozola for
generously donating equipment (timers) to UCF, Nadzeya Karauchuk for her support as
event administrator and most of All to FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich for pulling
off a well-organized event.
The Chess world cup provided other unique opportunities, hence the involvement of
Mwaka Emmanuel at the Fair play seminar which was made possible by FPL secretary
Bojana Bejatovic and FPL Chairman yuri Garret who facilitated at the seminar and later
presented a certificate of attendance. Upon passing the FPE exam, Mwaka will become
the first Fair play Expert (FPE) in Uganda The chief Arbiter IA Laurent Fred (Current
planning and development Commission Chairman and former arbiters commission
Chairman) played a pivotal role in granting IA Mwaka Emmanuel an Arbitation
opportunity at the chess World cup, we are thankful for this support.
A highlight of the event was the interaction between FM Nsubuga Haruna and FIDE
President Arkady Dvorkovich thanks to the good diplomatic relations between the UCF
President Mwaka and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. FM Haruna was caught off
guard when the FIDE President analyzed his game to him and outlined that he had a huge
advantage and missed a winning move of “Ne3”, in a critical end game position. We
value the opportunity!! Haruna later interacted with FIDE Management Board Executive
Director GM Victor Bologun who indicated to him that in Round one the entire VIP area
was routing for him with all VIPs watching and supporting him as the underdog in the
match. Other opportunities involved several top grandmasters interaction, a unique
opportunity that enriched his skills and knowledge.

We are grateful to Our media partners and friends ; Chess Base India, Baku TV, NBS
Sport, Monitor News Daily and New Vision News Daily in Uganda for their
comprehensive coverage, ensuring that the chess enthusiasts of our nation were kept well-informed.
Many thanks to the National council of sports and the Ministry of Education and Sports
for availing all the necessary documentation that helped us with a smooth travel. We look
forward to continued support and collaboration between NCS and UCF and we await
quarterly support to enable UCF recover costs incurred from the World Cup and payout
allowances and outstanding costs.
Once again, thank you, our dear chess friends, for your unending support. Together, we
have achieved remarkable milestones that will continue to inspire and drive our passion
for the game. The team from the Chess World Cup arrived safely yesterday on Sunday
afternoon and will be available for Media visits starting on Tuesday 8th August 2023.
Full report will be shared as soon as available.

Credit | Eng. Mwaka Emmanuel