Clive Thabo Dube
THE Bulawayo Chess Association (BCA) has announced that it will hold an invitational tournament in honour of Proud ‘Wawa’ Moyo.
The Memorial Tournament will be the first of its kind and BCA hope that it will be an annual event.
The event will be held on the weekend of 13-14 May and the Bulawayo Chess Fraternity will gather at Queens Sports Club in honor and admiration to the life of the late chess artist. The tournament is sponsored by the devoted family of the late through SAYI Technical Foundation.
SAYI Technical is the brainchild of Proud Moyo.
The prestigious tournament will be FIDE rated and regulated, and will feature the Open Section which will see the overall winner take home a guaranteed prize of R2 000. On the Ladies section, the first placed Queen pockets R1 200 and winner on the Development Section (U-14 &10) will be awarded R500 and R250 respectively.
Faustino Nyangari will serve as the tournament director, while the chief arbiter will be Thabang Moyo alongside his deputy Thaddeus Ndebele. Meanwhile Dr. Liberty Moyo provides logistics and administrative support.
The registration for the tournament is still ongoing until 10 May, 2023.
Described as “Vibrant and intelligent,” Wawa passed away on May 1, 2020, at the age of 28 after being exposed to a sewer methane gas in a leaking sewer digester. He collapsed and lost consciousness. His brain got oxygen starved which eventually led to his untimely death.
During the period of his death, he was working for an engineering company as a project manager in South Africa.
Bruce Moyo, the brother to the deceased said it is his wish to hold the classical tournament which bears his brother’s name in collaboration with the BCA every year to pour tribute to his late sibling.
“Proud was a vibrant and intelligent man and as a foundation, we wish to hold this tournament every year in May in partnership with Bulawayo Chess Association.” Said Moyo.
With a growing number of chess players in Bulawayo, a high turnout is expected for the Invitational.
The former Manodwane Primary School and Founders High School pupil born into chess family, grew up in the circles of the royal board game being mentored by his brother Bruce Moyo. His chess journey started when he was just seven years old at Nketa Suburb. With this background, the late twin brother of Priscila Moyo who is also a chess player applied the tactics of the mental demanding game into real life. His prodigious knowledge on chess strategies shaped his character.
“There are strategies and planning involved when it comes to chess which is something that can be applied in real life situations for short and long term objectives. Proud always related his life and his work with chess and every example he would give will be about chess.” Added Bruce Moyo.
Proud Moyo is survived by his wife Kimberly Saneliso Moyo and daughter Olis Sithembiso Moyo.