Simutowe opts out of Olympiads
ELIZABETH SAKALA reports:GRANDMASTER Amon Simutowe has been replaced with Stanley Chumfwa for the Olympiads slated for September 18 in Russia.
Chess Federation of Zambia (CFZ) president Lewis Ncube confirmed the change in Lusaka yesterday.
Ncube said they replaced Simutowe because he will not be available during the tournament.
“Simutowe made his stance known two weeks ago and we have already brought in Chumfwa to fill the gap. My executive will soon call upon Simutowe to see if we can sort out the differences he had with the previous executive,” Ncube said.
The CFZ owes Simutowe an undisclosed amount of money.
CFZ will send 10 players for the championship.
They are Andrew Kayonde Gillian Bwalya, Daniel Jere, Malembeka Chumfwa and his brother Stanley, Constance Mbatha, Epah Tembo, Linda Hamoonga, Lorita Mwango and Miyanda Mwitwa.
The team was selected during national trials held in Lusaka early this year.
Meanwhile, Ncube says he has received backing from 93 member federations for the position of vice-president for the International of Chess Federation (FIDE) congress to be held during the Olympiads.
Ncube, who is seeking re-election, is on the same campaign ticket with incubent president Kirsan Illyumzhinov of Russia who will face a challenge from former world champion Anatoly Karpov.
According to the ‘One World.One Vision’ campaign website, majority of the countries are backing Illyumzhinov’s team.
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