E14 000 for Manzini Chess Open

MBABANE – The Manzini Chess Open is set to offer more monetary rewards for participants, following an increased sponsorship package.

The Trojan Horse Chess Club will host the regional tournament on the 25th and 26th of this month. It revealed the competition’s financial boost of E14 200, with individual prizes on par with those of the recent national championship. The sponsorship has increased by E1 000, raising the open section’s top prize from E2 000 to E3 000. The runners-up will receive E1 500, while the thirdplace finisher will get E1 000.

In a field typically dominated by male players, the highest-ranking female will receive E1 000, and the second-highest will take home E500. This brings the total purse for the open section to E6 000.

The remaining E7 200 will be allocated to the junior sections, featuring under-10, under-14, and under-16 categories. Champions in these groups will each receive E1 000. Silver medallists will earn E600, and bronze medallists will receive E400. The E400 prize will also be reserved for the top-performing girls in each age category.

Notably, winners of these regional competitions will secure a spot in the 2025 national championship. The Eswatini Chess Federation (ECF) will hold the Junior Championships on the weekend of May 18 to 19, after postponing it from this weekend.

Meanwhile, registration for the Manzini Open is already open and it will close on May 20. The competition, to be held at Caritas in Manzini, will follow a Swiss System format over six rounds, with a time control of 60 minutes plus a 15-second increment per move.