Four new teams set for 2015 Chess League

Kenya's Ben Magana ponders his next move during a past challenge. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • Kisii County Chess club, Nairobi Gymkhana, Kenya Alliance of Assurance and Nairobi Academy Chess Club will make their debut this season with the league set to run till December.

Four new teams are set to take part in the 2015 Kenya National Chess League which gets underway in Nairobi this weekend.

Kisii County Chess Club, Nairobi Gymkhana, Kenya Alliance of Assurance and Nairobi Academy Chess Club will make their debut this season with the league set to run till December.

A total of 14 clubs have so far confirmed participation with the respective captains set to meet on Saturday to agree on the draws and rules of play for the season.

Twelve teams took part in the league last season with KCB Lions reclaiming the title from rivals Equity Bank on the final day of action.

Teams are already gearing up for the new season with new additions to their squads to challenge for top honours. Defending champions KCB Lions have signed Ugandan sensation Woman Fide Master (WFM) Ivy Amoko from Equity in one of the surprise moves.

STAR-STUDDED LINE-UP

Amoko will link up with a formidable line-up that includes former national champion and Lions skipper Ben Magana, who defended the Scottish Tartan open title last weekend in Kisumu, Fide Master (FM) Steve Ouma, (FM) Harold Wanyama, and Olympiad Jackson Kamau, Purity Maina, Martin Gichia and Philip Singe.

Lions’ team manager Isaac Babu is confident the squad has what it takes to wade off the challenge from other teams and retain their gong.

“With the addition of Amoko (Ivy), we will become an even more formidable force and I can tell we will be crowned champions. We hope the management will support our exploits,” Babu said.

Equity will be out to make amends after losing the title to KCB finishing second on 30 points, three behind their bitter rivals. The bankers have acquired the services of national women’s champion Sanjana Deshpande who will team up with Ugandan (FM) Arthur Ssegwanyi, Brian Kidula and player-cum-coach John Mukabi among others.

Equity team manager Bernard Wanjala said his team is mentally prepared to wrestle the title back from KCB.

“We have intensified our training and the players are fired up for the start of the league. Having lost the title last season, we have the hunger to win it back and gain revenge,” he told Daily Nation Sport.

The two leading teams will face stiff opposition from Deadly Bishops and Nairobi Chess Club, who are making a return this season after missing last year’s edition. Heavy weights Peter Gilruth and Mehul Gohil will lead NCC’s title hunt.

The winning team will walk away with Sh70,000 with the first and second runners up pocketing Sh50,000 and Sh30,000 respectively.