Epah becomes Zambia’s first ever Woman International Master (WIM)
Dec 25, 2014
by Oliver Shalala in Windhoek, Namibia
Zambian women chess poster girl Epah Tembo Jere was on Monday night conferred with the Woman International Master title for coming out joint second on points but third on tie-break at the just ended Africa Individual Chess Championships held in Windhoek, Namibia.
And Zambian chess players failed to win the top prizes at the just ended Africa Individual Chess Championships held in Namibia, Windhoek.
However, in the women’s section which was won by Egypt’s taliswoman chess player WGM Wafa Shrook yesterday, Epah Jere produced the best Zambian result when she finished in joint second with WFM Du Toit Sune and WIM Solomons Anzel of South Africa to win a medal and a share of US $4,500.
Jere needed to earn 6.5 points out of 9 and also finish in the top 3 to earn the title and she did it with flying colours remaining unbeaten throughout except losing to the eventual champion WGM Wafa Shrook of Egypt.
Starting as seed 3, Jere finished ranked 3rd to become the first Woman International Master Zambia has ever produced.
At the prize giving ceremony, her visibly overjoyed husband Daniel Jere, who is an International Master and who finished 7th in the open section of the championships, collected her bronze medal and trophy as she had already left for Zambia.
She also won a prize package of USD 1 600.
Meanwhile, Jere, who finished with a gain of +15.2 in Elo ratings, has now qualified for the 2015-2016 African Grand Prix, a series of 6 chess tournaments featuring Africa’s top chess players and to be hosted in 6 different countries across Africa including Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, Egypt, a western African country and South Africa.
IM Daniel Jere receiving the 3rd place trophy and medal in the womens section of the African Chess Championships on behalf of his wife Epah Tembo Jere. It was presented by the president of the Mozambique Chess Federation during the closing ceremony in Windhoek, Namibia.
Congratulations.