CANDIDATE MASTER HLOPHE LEADS CHESS RANKINGS

MBABANE – The International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) latest ratings have seen Candidate Master (CM) Smilo Hlophe maintaining top position.

Released yesterday, Hlophe added five Elos from the just recently ended 44th Chess Olympiad to reach the highest position of 1 737.A player’s Elo rating is represented by a number which may change depending on the outcome of rated games played. After every game, the winning player takes points from the losing one. The difference between the ratings of the winner and loser determines the total number of points gained or lost after a game.

The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in zero-sum games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-American physics professor. Meanwhile, Mbongeni Mabuza was replaced by CM Sikhanyiso Sihlongonyane on second position after he accumulated 15 Elos. The dark horse, Mlindi Dlamini, who is currently in Zambia for studies, is back in the top 10, after his outstanding performance in the Kennedy Phiri Momerial Open Tournament where he bagged a jawdropping 53 Elos.

Working together in furtherance of common purpose, the 44th Olympiad heroes Vuyo Nxumalo and Simphiwe Dlamini were the biggest beneficiaries of the Olympiad after they remarkably collected 48 Elos and 43 Elos respectively. Their outstanding performance was awarded with conditional titles (Candidate Masters). Simphiwe now sits in 5th position and Vuyo bounced back into the top 10 on 8th position.

This meant that Vusimuzi Khumalo aka ‘Killer Morphy’ is out of the latest top 10. Lunga Mavuso is clinging to 10th spot. Leading in the ladies ratings is Temahlubi Dlamini on 1 342 while Nosimilo Mkhonto is second on 1 300 with Nomcebo Sibisi completing the top three brackets on 1 239. William Siame, Eswatini Chess Federation (ECF) Tournament Director who doubles as national team captain said it was pleasing to the federation to see players getting higher Elos in the ratings. “Our aim is to have as many rated Eswatini players as possible, and this can only be achieved by organising many local tournaments,” said Siame. Chess is one of the sports played at schools in the country in a bid to develop players. The ratings are done country by country, otherwise in the world rankings, there is still a long way to go.

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