27 Jan 2025

The Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) opened up their 2025 calendar with ululations and whistling as they celebrated the promotion of two local chess whiz kids; Natalie Banda and Maya Otimile. 

The duo was awarded certificates of promotion as an appreciation for their excellent performances on the board. 

Less than a fortnight ago, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich signed the certificates of promotion confirming Natalie Banda to be a Women FIDE Master (WFM) and Otimile Maya as the Woman Candidate Master (WCM).

Banda said she was over the moon to receive the good news since she had toiled for this achievement. 

“I recently got my WFM title after successfully having a rating of 1 915. I am very happy that I finally managed to get the title because I have been trying to get it for a while now,” she said. 

She won the Africa Youth Chess Championships in Egypt in 2023 and that is where she got her title, but had to have a rating of at least 1 900 to officially get it. 

“Last year my goal was to gain enough rating points to get the title and I finally managed to gain them in December and thus I got my title. 

Getting this title means a lot to me because it shows how much I have grown as a player and how much I have accomplished and it gives me a sense of pride that I am now Women Fide Master Natalie Banda,” enthused Banda.

She said she was looking forward to continuing to go ablaze in the next games so that she could be promoted to the title of Woman International Master (WIM). 

Another local chess ace, Maya narrated that she achieved the title in the Africa Youth Chess Championship held in Johannesburg. 

“I feel very satisfied and very glad about my achievement. Gaining this title is not as easy as people may think. One needs to work hard to attain this title and I have shown so much dedication, so much passion and so much hard work and that is what got me here today. I thank God for helping me with working hard, with my efforts and everything that I have achieved, even ratings, over the years. Training has never been easy, for to get this title demands a lot of time and commitment,” said Maya. 

Maya said she would continue to aim where eagles soar to attain a trio of top-notch titles such as Women FIDE Master, Women International Master and Women Grand Master. ENDS