The Liberia Chess Federation (LCF) is set to kickstart the 2022 National Chess Championships on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, with the hosting of the Club Championship at its New Head Office on 9th Street.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with support from sponsors and partners, the LCF will host all major variants of the noble game of chess for this year’s championship. LCF will host the National Chess Clubs Championship, the National Rapid Chess Championship, the National Blitz Championship, and the National Classical Chess Championship which produces the National Chess Champion and the National Female Chess Champion.
According to LCF President Mr. Thomas Karyah, this chess festival will be used to promote the game amongst young Liberians, especially females, and hopefully enlighten the general public that chess is also a tool for education and socioeconomic development.
November 29, the date chosen for the commencement of the 2022 Chess Clubs Championships is a national holiday celebrated by Liberians as the birthdate of the late former Liberian President William V.S. Tubman. It is also the day on which the first LCF constitution was signed in 2014, thus establishing the Liberia Chess Federation.
The Chess Clubs Championship is a one-day Rapid Chess event in which all clubs and chess playing centers are encouraged to register and participate. Each team will have four players with one female and one player aged 20 years old or below. The Club Championship will be a 7-Round Rapid Chess Swiss tournament with a Time Control of 20 minutes plus 5 seconds increment for each player.
On Saturday, 3 December 2022, the chess festival will continue with the hosting of the National Rapid Chess Championship and on Sunday, 4 December 2022, the National Blitz Chess Championship will be held.
The National Classical Chess Championships will start on Friday, 9 December with an opening ceremony, and will end on Sunday, 18 December 2022.
The National Chess Tournament is the most iconic chess event of the Liberia Chess Federation where the coveted titles of National Chess Champion and National Female Chess Champion are earned.
The constitution of the federation gives leadership slots to the winners and runners-up of this annual chess event — the champions are members of the Executive Council (EC).
Since its maiden edition in 2016, this event is expected to be held in the last quarter of every year. Played at the LCF’s former Headquarters on Front Street, the first national tournament was attended by over 30 participants and won by FM Barcon Harmon, CM Anthony Waylea (Runnerup) Widor Tarpeh (Female Champion), and Siatta Gray (Runner-up, Female Section).
The follow-up editions were held in 2018, 2019, and 2021. These National Championship events are held in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Liberia, with support from sponsors and partners.
The results are communicated to and upheld by the African Confederation of Chess (ACC) as well as the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
The winners of the Open and Women Sections are automatically qualified for all official slots at ACC and FIDE events in the calendar year that follows the championships.
