The VII Individual Absolute Championship of Cape Verde, a 10-player round-robin event, took place at the Jorge Barbosa Municipal Library in Espargos on the island of Sal.

Nine men and one woman competed for the prestigious title of Cape Verdean Chess Champion. It was clear from the outset that a new champion would emerge, as the defending champion, IM Mariano Ortega, did not participate due to professional commitments.

With Cape Verde's top two players on the FIDE rating list missing, the tournament carried high expectations. Adding to the excitement, the country's third-ranked player was participating in a national competition for the first time.

The tournament was fiercely contested, with the top seed suffering his first defeat early on. By Round 3, every participant had experienced at least one loss.

In the end, José Carlos Vaz, making his debut in the national championship, emerged victorious. Fresh off earning his Candidate Master norm at the recent Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Vaz scored an impressive 7.5 points out of 9. His only loss came against CM David Mirulla, who finished third, while he drew against runner-up Diogo Neves and defeated the rest of the field.

Notably, Deise Pereira, the only woman in the tournament, who achieved WCM title in Budapest, finished fourth with 5 points.

The event concluded with a closing ceremony led by a representative from the Institute of Sport and Youth, the government body responsible for overseeing sports and youth activities in Cape Verde.

Final standings:

Text and photos: Cape Verdean Chess Federation