WELL, we have all done it. Gary Cooper, Kimi Bradshaw, Larry Ebbin and Alvin Amore have made the FIDE Ratings list. Now we are all considered Bermuda’s new FIDE-rated players, bringing the total to 15 — which is now recorded on the world body’s web site. To see this list, go to www.fide.com

1. Click on Rating. 2. On the right, click on Country Top & Stats. Bermuda is number 142, very close to the bottom. As much as we try to get out of this bottom pack, we don’t move too far.

But who knows what is going to happen in the next World Chess Olympiad in 2008? Well, Bradshaw told me some time ago that he is in training for it.

In trying to find out just how good you are in chess, you must compete against some of the strongest out there. Having said that, the Bermuda Chess Championship, which has now started, should reveal who is the best.

The Candidate Master Sami Lill, who just won the Eric Kemper Memorial, is so far the strongest player at the Chess Club. Now that is to be tested by a new member who is from Zimbabwe — Moses Mufandaedza (pictured).

Mufandaedza could be the one player to give Lill a hard time. Long before this tournament started Mufandaedza told me to make sure he was in the line-up because he was going to win.

There are some players who talk (trash) just to put you off. Mufandaedza is quite the opposite — he is shy and humble all in one.

Since starting to play around the age of 13, he has fallen in love with the game. That is, of course, until Gillian came along. So he married her and now the clever 26-year-old chartered accountant is taking on all Bermuda.

The Eric Kemper Memorial Tournament that just finished was the first tournament he played in. He is not a grandmaster yet in the chess world, but his style of play will make him one, some day.

If he lives in Bermuda long enough to ever represent Bermuda in an Olympiad, he’ll do us all proud — he is just that good.

Here is our game of the week when I was paired with Mufandaedza in round 4. Larry Ebbin is playing White and Mufandaedza is playing Black.

In diagram 1, it is move 7. g3 and already without castling, I have made my kingside weak. In diagram 2, even though I had castled I could not stop the Mufandaedza attack. In diagram 3, it was at this point that I was trying to stop the rook from attacking my queen which was on e2. The next move would have been checkmate. In diagram 4, the trading of my queen also cost me a bishop as well, and I soon resigned.

Ebbin: White

Mufandaedza: Black<$>

Eric Kemper 2007:

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. Be2 Qc7 7. g3 Bh3 8. Bf3 Nbd7 9. Nde2 Ne5 10. Nf4 Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Bg4 12. Qd3 Rc8 13. 0-0 e5 14. Nfd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Be7 16. Kg2 Qd7 17. Re1 b5 18. f3 Bh3+ 19. Kg1 Bf5 20. Ne4 0-0 21. c3 Rc7 22. g4 Bg6 23. Bd2 f5 24. gxf5 Qxf5 25. Kg2 Qh5 26. Qf1 Bf5 27. Qe2 Qh3+ 28. Kg1 Bxe4 29. fxe4 Rf6 30. Kh1 Rc4 31. b3 Rc8 32. a4 Rcf8 33. Qg2 Qxg2+ 34. Kxg2 Rf2+ 35. Kg1 Rxd2 36. axb5 axb5 37. Rf1 Rxf1+ 38. Rxf1 Re2 39. Ra1 Rxe4 40. Kf2 Bh4+ 41. Kf3 Rf4+ 42. Kg2 Rg4+ 43. Kh3 Rf>

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