By S. Siapha Mulbah
The Liberia Chess Federation has gotten a barrage of applause from players and some stakeholders of the West African chess region for the excellence currently being exhibited in the organization of the West African Chess Championship.
The rain of commendations continues to flow on the LCF from players participating in the 2024 West African Chess Championship from the start of the event over the weekend, where many reviewed the selected environment as a Chess-friendly one that promotes free and independent thinking.
The 2024 Zone 4.2 tournament is currently the biggest chess event in the West African region and is being played by representatives from over six countries’ federations at Creed Hotel in the city of Marshall, lower Margibi County.
Nearly all of the Federation’s representatives participating in the event have rained praises on the organizing committee for working tirelessly to ensure that countries in the region have an experience of playing the mind game under the best atmospheres they could ever have to demonstrate their skills and talents.
Speaking to this paper from the site of the tournament, Sarah Kamara, the only female player from the Sierra Leonian Chess Federation representing her country in the women section, noted that it is the first time she has ever played in an international tournament, with the organizers doing everything possible to make the players see professional chess displayed.
According to Kamara, her greatest surprise while participating from the start of the tournament is to witness the growth of women participation in the game across the country. In her words, the number of women playing chess in Liberia in recent time, especially at the West African Chess Championship, is making her reconsider the previous perception that Chess is a man’s game.
“Liberia is improving so well in the chess community, looking at their women’s participation and other programs. I am grateful to be a participant in this championship, but the lesson to learn from Liberia is the increase in women playing chess. I want more women’s chess in my country, Sierra Leone,” Sarah Kamara intimated.
Candidate Master Mikhail Strovskiy, playing for Togo, stressed that Liberia’s organization of the West African Chess Championship has made the competition gain the biggest attraction in his view.
According to him, the participation of the over 30 male players in the open session and the number of women in their separate session means a lot to West African Chess, with the biggest appreciation to the Liberia Chess Federation.
He said the LCF as host, with many local players, has revealed to the region that chess is on the growth in Liberia because there has not been any mistake witnessed so far from both the players and the organizing team.
It has been observed that Liberia, through the local chess governing body, has broken the record rewards that follow successful players that will top the performance of the ongoing championship. According to sources, the competition will have top ranking players in the first eight spots winning cash prizes, ranging from US$200 to US$2,000 in the open session, with the top five women participants wining cash prizes.
