Malawi’s International Arbiter Gilton Mkumbwa has applauded his involvement in the 2025 Fide World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships in the United Kingdom, saying he got invaluable experience.
Mkumbwa was part of the officials handling the championship which took place in London and ran from June 10 to 16.
The Malawian, who was part of the two African International Arbiters at the event—alongside Du Toit Hendrik Petrus from South Africa—said he was thrilled to have been assigned the role.
“It was an honour being appointed to officiate in this Fide World Class event. It was one of the biggest and arguably the toughest tournaments I ever attended as an arbiter.
“At the same time, it was quite a scintillating and rewarding experience altogether. As a professional arbiter, quick and accurate decision-making was crucial at all times, especially where there were four games played in a single day and the breaks in-between the rounds were for less than 10 minutes,” Mkumbwa said.
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“Any delay could affect the timely start of the next round; so, efficiency and time management are a key and vital aspects to ensure the smooth running of the event,” he added.
Mkumbwa pledged to share the experience and knowledge he gained with fellow arbiters, organisers and officials so that every stakeholder could grow and improve standards of the game.
Meanwhile, Chess Association of Malawi Publicity Secretary Francisco Mwangupili has said they were excited with Mkumbwa’s involvement at the tournament, which featured most of the World’s strongest chess players and teams from around the world.
“We, as a chess federation, are proud that one of our arbiters is part of the arbitration team in one of the world’s biggest chess competitions, and this goes a long way in motivating other arbiters to strive for excellence,” Mwangupili said.
