BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – ZIMBABWEAN chess icon and International Master (IM) Rodwell Makoto suffered a setback in the Chess World Cup 2023 opening round, losing to Azerbaijani Grandmaster Nijat Abasov.
The match in Baku, saw the home advantage in play as GM Abasov emerged victorious after 33 moves.
The 28-year-old Azerbaijani, who has a FIDE rating of 2632 and ranks 115 globally, unleashed a well-played Trompowsky Attack, causing Makoto to defend his position with black pieces. The Attack inflicted double pawns on Makoto’s middlegame position, leaving him facing a hard-to-defend endgame position that ultimately forced him to resign.
Abasov, who has held the Grandmaster title since 2011, has an impressive track record with white pieces, a strategy that the Zimbabwean will need to address in the subsequent encounter.
At 35 years old, Makoto with a FIDE rating of 2312 is no stranger to the rigours of international chess. He is the second highest-rated International Master in Zimbabwe. Despite his defeat in the first round to Vladislav Kovalev in the Chess World Cup 2021, Makoto has an illustrious career peppered with victories and accomplishments, including winning the South African Open in 2012 and representing Zimbabwe multiple times as a member of the Olympiad team.
The tournament’s second round is crucial for Makoto, as it will determine his fate in the Chess World Cup 2023. As Zimbabwe’s representative, he shoulders the high expectations of the nation.
The Zimbabwean chess community is closely following the performance of Makoto in the prestigious tournament, hoping that his extensive experience can help him overcome the initial setback and advance further in the competition.
