Saturday, May 6 will be a busy day in as far as sports in schools in concerned as it will witness three major school competitions commence across the country.

While the National Girls Schools Cricket Week will be happening in Soroti and the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) Football Boys Championship in Kabarole, Father Grimes National Schools Chess Championship will be rolling off at St. Mary’s College, Kisubi.

Father Grimes is a competition that has graced Ugandan chess since the 1980s, and it is one that has birthed some of the top chess players in the country.

FM Walter Okas, IM Arthur Ssegwanyi, FM Patrick Kawuma, Mathias Ssonko, IM Emojong Elijah, WFM Christine Namaganda, CM Emmanuel Egesa and Simon Gonza are some of the products bred from this competition.

“I see this as an entry point to competitive chess for many young players. To see many young children participate in this competition gives me so much joy as I see the future in re-incarnation.

“Future Uganda and East Africa champions will be birthed from here. Myself and many of the elite chess players in Uganda are products of Father Grimes Chess Event,” Okas, one of Father Grimes products says.

Over 60 schools including Kings College Buddo, St. Mary’s College Kisubi, City Parents, Namirembe Parents, Makerere College, Amazima, City Parents, Sir Apollo Kaggwa and Busoga College Mwiri are set to take part in this competition.

Kings College Budo and URDT Kagadi are the defending champions in the boys and girls sections respectively.

The event gets underway on Saturday with the arrival and registration, but one of the activities set to be conducted is the screening of Queen of Katwe, a chess movie that depicts the life of Phionah Mutesi, a Ugandan chess prodigy.

The event will conclude on Wednesday 10th May after eight rounds of play.