The Namibia Chess Federation (NCF) will be taking a bold step this weekend to bolster female participation in chess by organising the Bank Windhoek Chess tournament exclusively for women. 

Set to unfold on Saturday and Sunday at the UNAM main campus in the capital, the event aims to provide a platform to encourage and showcase the talents of female chess players.

Tournament director Lischen Mentile highlighted the motivation behind the initiative, stating, “We realised there is a low number of female chess players not only in Namibia, but globally. So, we thought of hosting an all-female chess tournament. Females are usually competing against  their male counterparts, where they might feel intimidated. I am sure this will encourage many of them to take up the sport because the number of female chess players is really low”.

In terms of preparations and expectations, she expressed optimism about the event’s success.”Preparations are already in an advanced stage, and we are expecting the event to attract more than 50 chess players, which is our target. So far, the number of registered players is lower than 50. But we expect, in the next couple of days, to see a significant increase”, she enthused.

This tournament is not the first of its kind, as the federation has previously organised similar competitions. Unlike previous editions, this year’s event is open to both local and international chess players.

“We encourage everyone in Namibia to enter, as we expect international chess players as well. I am hoping to see top-notch chess on display, with participants competing in various categories such as the queen section and the prince’s section, where players below the age of 20 will battle it
out for top honours,” added Mentile.