The journey was a long arduous one spanning more than a decade since attaining the Fide Arbiter Title in Durban, South Africa in 2014 as well as the Trainers Title. Chess has always been at the bottom of Victor’s heart having started to play the game in form two at high school and played along the likes of the late Jeveous Kampinya, Stanley Chiwambutsa, Russel Kasirori, Blessing Nhau, Archford Nyamazana to name a few players among the ones he used to play with him in the same team. Coaching,writing and eventually Organising the events.He also passed the International Organizers exam in 2019 in an online exam.

Chimbamu never thought that one day he was going to be an International Arbiter, the highest title in chess arbitration.It was like a pipeline dream for this to come into reality. This was a real struggle for the title to come about as he had to sacrifice to go and officiate in Zambia where some tournaments were organised for an IA status. Project Chess Zambia under the leadership of International Master Andrew Kayonde gave him the opportunity to officiate at Zone 4.5 held in Lusaka, Zambia in 2024 as well as other PCZ tournaments held at Courtyard Hotel in Livingstone in 2025.

Lusaka Chess Province under the leadership of Njovu as the Chair and Maybin Chinama the Secretary General gave me the invitations to their LPCA organised events which gave him the exposure starting with the Mdina Open of 2023 held at NIPA, LPCA 2024 and 2025 under the guidance of firstly FA Mary Mashane, and IA Aaron Banda as well as IA Chanda Boyd Nsakanya who groomed the arbiter as he went through the furnace of arbitration. He tried to apply for the title in 2023 and it was rejected because of a Round Robin event which did not meet the requirements needed for an IA title. The Arbiter never looked back.

He set off for the Moja IM Norm section tournament in South Africa in 2025, Malawi Open in 2025, Africa Youth Chess Championships which Zimbabwe hosted at Dominican Convent in December in which he got an IA Norm. The last event which he travelled for was the Silverest Open Chess Championships which was hosted early in January 2026 from 6-11. This event had some Grand Masters from Russia and Tunisia, the two GMs played against the International Masters from Zambia namely : Gillian Bwalya, Richmond Phiri, Chitumbo Mwali, Namiabia’s IM Dante Beuekes, IM Michael Simpson from South Africa, Fide Master Joseph Mwale of Malawi, FM Banele of SA ,Spencer Masango of Zimbabwe was also among these sharks.

This is the final event that gave FA Chimbamu an IA Norm. The norms submitted for the IA Title are as follows: CBZ nationals for the 2024 which was a round robin final Africa youth chess championships 2025 Zone 4.5 open chess championship 2024 Silverest Open chess Championships 2026 Fide IA Norm exam Norm examination written in December 2024. The above tournaments changed the title after an application was made in the first quarter of 2026 and the application was approved and there is a third International Arbiter.

IA Simbarashe Murimi and IA James Vhezha are the other IAs active at the moment in Zimbabwe. Ephraim Mudzudzu, Thaddeus Ndebele, Simaise and Moses Shumba also successfully applied for their Fide Arbiters Titles. They are now new FAs in the Nation of Zimbabwe. The future is bright for Zimbabwe chess as it starts with the development of the officials then these will in turn produce players and officials after training them.