Amon Simutowe

Amon Simutowe
Amon Simutowe, 2009
Born	Mbala, Zambia
Title	Grandmaster (chess)
Academic background
Education	University of Texas at Dallas University of Oxford

Amon Simutowe is the first Grandmaster (of the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) or World Chess Federation) from sub-Saharan Africa and the third black chess Grandmaster in history, after Maurice Ashley and Pontus Carlsson. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Master of Science in Economics for Development from the University of Oxford.

Amon's mother died before his second birthday. While growing up Simutowe played football. He had originally set his dreams on being a striker for the Zambian national football team after playing at the youth level.

He was introduced to chess by his brother Solomon at the age of ten. After two months, his interest shifted completely to chess and he played against his brother every day. At first his father was concerned about Amon spending too much time playing chess as he imagined it would distract him from his academic interests. Simutowe's brother saw a healthy appetite growing in his younger brother and sent him chess books and magazines.

He would later state in an interview on why he chose chess over football: "I didn't have anyone to blame in chess for my losses and I didn't have to wait until I was 18 to compete nationally." Simutowe won his first tournament at age 12. In 1994 he entered his first of three local tournaments. "I really didn't do very well, but was praised as the best young player… under 16", said Simutowe.

In 1995 Simutowe won the nation's under-21 championship and took fifth place at the African Junior Championships. In 1996 he won the Zambian Chess Championship as well as the Zambian Junior National Championship. When reflecting upon his results in 1996, Amon stated "I didn't expect to win this tournament... I was just interested in qualifying for the Olympiad." He qualified but the Zambian National team was unable to compete in the Olympiads. In 1997 Simutowe won the African Junior Chess Championship.

He earned the IM 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 by 12/13 followed by an 11/11 score in 2000 during which he earned the moniker, "The Zambezi Shark" and became famous for repeatedly defeating his competition in Fischer-like fashion, winning tournaments by large margins. He also carried the Zambian flag abroad in the 2000 under-16 championship and beat Iran's Essam Ghaem Maghami who would later become a Grandmaster.