AFRICAN CHESS TALES.

 

TODAY'S CHESS PIC OF THE DAY. A TRANSITION FROM CHESS ELITISM TO CHESS FOR EVERYONE!?

A 16 year old physically challenged Sharif Wasswa Mbaziira from Uganda plays chess with a classmate at the Kampala School of the Physically challenged in the East African country of Uganda.

Rather than bowing to conventional societal notions, folktales and prejudices that undermine the capabilities of disabled and confine them to the spectator arena, Sharif rises up to the challenge and sees light at the end of the tunnel through chess.

Having been introduced to the game of chess not more than 3 years ago, Sharif now sees hope and a chance to transcend the main challenges of being confined to a wheelchair. He now views chess as his 'savior' which he cannot do without; he now plays the game on a daily basis in an effort to rapidly improve.

In a continent where its an almost a herculean task to solely depend on chess from an income and economical spectrum, Sharif wants to reverse the status quo and believes chess can elevate his social and economical status in society.

“I want to make a living by playing chess,” Mbaziira says. “To provide for my family a good house with a proper toilet that wouldn’t be shared with neighbors", continues the optimistic Sharif.

A protégé of the globally acclaimed SOM chess academy of Robert Katende which gained world recognition due to last year's Disney movie, 'Queen of Katwe' which chronicled the rise of Uganda's Phiona Mutesi, Sharif is a unique chess player whose positivity is perhaps unmatched among other chess enthusiasts at his school.

Despite the fact that its is very difficult for an African to compete at a world class level or even attain the GM status, Sharif has unwavering eyes that see himself competing with the world's elite pool of chess players. And perhaps over optimistic, Sharif says he would like to be like Garry Kasparov one day.

But so far he is doing fine and is improving at relatively pace.In June, he represented Uganda at the first annual FIDE World Junior Chess Championship for the Disabled in Orlando, Florida. Mbaziira was the first Ugandan with a physical disability to represent his country in an international chess tournament.

Mbaziira says chess has also helped him to develop social skills.

“My self-esteem has improved because I know I can be good at something. People will stop seeing me only as a boy moving in a wheelchair, but now as a chess champion, too,” he says.

Picture credit and writeup excerpt:

Nakisanze Segawa, GPJ, Uganda.