The Liberia Chess Federation has opened as a site of attention for all chess players nationwide as the organization conducts a qualifiers for the 2023 National Chess Championship.
With just two rounds left in the Qualifier for the 2023 National Chess Championship, the fates of many top Liberian chess players are still uncertain.
The top 19 players, after nine rounds of mentally exhausting classical chess, are expected to join the 2022 National Champion to make a 20-player closed National Championship for the year 2023.
With the current standing, many notable players are still striving to seal their participation in the upcoming 2023 National Championship.
Leading the qualifier now is Joel Ebiekuta who had an impressive form durin the last edition of the championship.
Joel is still in top form from the 2022 National Championship, he now has more wins in classical chess than any Liberian in 2023 and is yet to taste defeat all through this year qualifier. The Joel has already sealed his participation in the 2023 Nationals Chess Championships.
According to the Liberia Chess Federation this upcoming edition of the championship is scheduled to commence on January 14, 2024.
Young player Obediah Saah who is fighting to be Liberia’s Junior Chess Champions following the disqualification of Wallace Williams, is having a good run with an impressive performance thus far. Obediah has won five out of seven games at the qualifiers and was seated at spot number four in the cross table ranking as the competition dreged into Round eight on Thursday, December 28, 2023.
Foday Kondoh, Arnold Smith, James Tondo, and the Jallah brothers ( Fide Master Jacob Jallah and Candidate MasterJohn Jallah) are having splendid performances and have almost secured their places in the 2023 National Chess Championship.
On the flip side of the Chess Qualifier table, some notable players are struggling to stay afloat. Candidate Master (CM) Abraham Kalokoh, popularly known for his attacking chess display, is already out of the event, while the likes of former National Champion Thomas Saah, Leroy Debblay, CM Daniel Kolliemelen, Harold Evans, and Liberia’s strongest Chess player (based on FIDE’s rating) CM Anthony Waylea, are still not securely in yet, with their fates being in their own hands in the remaining rounds of the qualifiers.