Zimbabwe bounced back with a commendable 2.5 – 1.5 victory over Libya in the fifth round of the 45th Budapest Chess Olympiad open section on Sunday.
This match was crucial for the team, as it marked their recovery from previous setbacks.
However, in round six, Zimbabwe faces an uphill battle against an all-grandmaster team from Latvia.
This matchup is expected to be particularly challenging given Latvia’s strong chess pedigree and experience at high levels of competition.
International Master (IM) Farai Mandizha faced Libya’s top board player, Hussein Asabri, in a strategically quiet game.
Playing with the black pieces, Mandizha managed to secure a draw against his opponent and notch his first positive score of the tournament.
On the second board, IM Rodwell Makoto delivered a spirited performance by defeating Yousef Alhassadi, contributing significantly to Zimbabwe’s overall score, and also improved his tally to 3 out of 4 points.
Unfortunately for Fide Master Roy Mwadzura, he faced a challenging match against Ahmed Naser Aldean and succumbed to defeat. This loss was a setback for Mwadzura but did not detract from the team’s overall success in this round.
Vitalis Mapuranga rounded off the team’s performance with a convincing victory on board 4, further solidifying Zimbabwe’s win against Libya.
With this result, Zimbabwe improved their standing to three wins and two losses after five rounds, placing them at rank 82 out of 187 teams with a total of six points accumulated thus far.
Following their encounter with Albania, Zimbabwe women’s chess suffered a heavy defeat by a scoreline of 4-0 in what appeared to be a one-sided affair.
This loss placed them at rank 107 out of 169 teams after six rounds, reflecting two wins and three losses up until that point.
As they prepare for their next match against Cyprus in round six, the team will be looking for redemption and aiming to regain momentum in the tournament.
