Chess PWD Olympiad: Uganda turn corner with Eswatini win

On Sep 16, 2026

The heavy silence of the playing hall at the Silk Road International Tourism Centre in Samarkand was suddenly pierced by a wave of quiet celebration. For days, the air around the Ugandan camp had been thick with tension and the quiet despair of a team struggling to find its footing on the global stage.

It was a long way from home, but as the final pieces settled on the board against Eswatini on Tuesday, Uganda had finally claimed its first team victory at the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities.

For captain Wilson Mugwanya and his resilient squad, the journey to this triumphant moment felt like walking through a storm. The 40-team global chess showcase organised by FIDE and the Uzbekistan Chess Federation had thrown the East African team straight into the deep end when it kicked off on September 10.

In the opening round, a brutal 4-0 shutout at the hands of the tournament hosts, Uzbekistan 1, had sent shockwaves through the camp. Enock Seguya, Sharif Wasswa Mbaziira, ACM Ezekiel Masiko, and Hannah Nakamya fought valiantly, but the powerhouse hosts proved overwhelming, plunging Uganda straight to the bottom of the standings.

What followed was a roller coaster ride through the lower rungs of the leaderboard. After climbing briefly to 33rd place in Round 2, the team slid backwards to 37th, then tumbled further down to 39^th, second from the bottom by Round 4.

Even in defeat, individual sparks of brilliance flickered in the dark. Against Türkiye in Round 2, the indomitable Ezekiel Masiko delivered a stunning upset against Suleyman Saltik, though the Turks ultimately took the match 3-1.

In a subsequent nail-biter against Myanmar, Uganda fell just short in a tight 2.5-1.5 contest. While Seguya and Mbaziira dropped their matches, Masiko extended his personal win streak by defeating Htet Naung Lin, and Hannah Nakamya carved out a hard-earned draw against Si Si Khaing.

Through every setback, the team’s rating average of 1575 kept them fighting for every single square. Masiko, holding a formidable 1862 rating, carried the squad’s hopes on his shoulders, supported by the gritty resilience of Seguya (1415) and Mbaziira (1621), while Nakamya, playing without a listed FIDE rating, battled fiercely against the world’s best.

Then came Round 5. Facing Eswatini, something shifted. The psychological weight of the early losses evaporated, replaced by razor-sharp focus under the gruelling standard time controls of 40 moves in 90 minutes. Board by board, the momentum swung. Seguya broke through against Vikelo Nkomondze. Mbaziira followed suit, overpowering Mlandvo Khumalo. The unstoppable Masiko then sealed his brilliant display by conquering Mncedisi Magagula.

With a commanding 3-0 lead secured, Nakamya fought a courageous battle on her board, ultimately conceding a point to Eswatini’s Kiara Halar. But the damage and the victory were already done. Uganda claimed the match 3-1, leaping back up to 37th place in the standings.

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