- Amon Simutowe
Amon Simutowe (born
January 6 ,1982 inNdola ) is aZambia nInternational Master of theFédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) or World Chess Federation. Simutowe is known as having success unprecedented for a player fromsub-Saharan Africa . Simutowe took up the chess from his brother at the age of 10, won his first tournament at 12, and won the Zambian National Championship at age 14. He earned the International Master's title at the 1998 African Zonal (zone 4.3) with the required 66% score and later went on to win the first of his two African Junior Championships. In 1999, he scored 12/13 followed by an 11/11 score in 2000.He then scored several notable tournament victories, including an equal 2nd at the 2000
World Junior Chess Championship s in Armenia where he scored 8½-4½. He scored 6½-4½ in the British Championship including a beautiful win against IM Colin Crouch. [ [http://www.thechessdrum.net/palview/Simutowe-Crouch.htm Amon Simutowe - Colin Crouch, MSO Ron Banwell mem 2000 ] ] He represented Zambia at the 2000 Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey and scored 8-2 on board one. [ [http://www.thechessdrum.net/talkingdrum/TDsepoct01.html The Talking Drum (IM Amon Simutowe) ] ] For his effort, he earned a silver medal and national acclaim and was named Zambia's "Sportsman of the Year" in 2001. [ [http://www.thechessdrum.net/newsbriefs/2001/NB_Amon9.html Zambia’s Sports Council selects IM Simutowe as its top Sportsman!! ] ] In 2002, he moved to the United States to pursue higher education after being awarded a chess scholarship. While at student at UTD, he helped the chess team win two national collegiate championships.After earning a degree in finance and economics with high honors in December 2006, he embarked on a path to earn his final Grandmaster norm. After embarking on a tour of tournaments in the U.S., he traveled to the Netherlands to compete in the 2007 Euwe Stimulus tournament. [ [http://www.thechessdrum.net/newsbriefs/2007/NB_ASimutowe9.html "Zambezi Shark" at Euwe GM tourney ] ] Simutowe scored a victory and earned his final Grandmaster norm scoring an undefeated 7½-1½. After he completes the final rating requirement, he will become the 6th Grandmaster in the history of Africa, the first from the sub-Saharan region. Simutowe qualified for the World Championship cycle in 2000, 2001 and 2004.
References
External links
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* [http://www.thechessdrum.net/drummajors/A_Simutowe.html The Chess Drum: Profile of Amon Simutowe]
* [http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4075 Chessbase: Euwe Stimulans: Simutowe wins and completes GM norms]
* [http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4086 Chessbase :The GM Journey of Amon Simutowe]
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