Players converge on Karen for Kenya Open Chess
What you need to know:
- This year’s event has received the major boost after KCB injected Sh500,000 towards the prize fund, making it the highest offer in a chess tournament in Kenya.
International Master (IM) Oladapo Adu from Nigeria will be the biggest attraction at this year’s Kenya Open Chess tournament set for the Easter holiday at KCB Leadership centre, Karen.
The tournament , which starts on Friday, has been a regular feature in Chess Kenya’s calendar for a number of years and is one of the most anticipated events each year.
This year’s event has received the major boost after KCB injected Sh500,000 towards the prize fund, making it the highest offer in a chess tournament in Kenya.
This year, the competition which kick offs on Good Friday, will feature four sections – Prestige, Open, Ladies and juniors, which will all be FIDE rated.
Registration is going on online and will close at midnight Thursday.
Apart from IM Adu, other top players who have confirmed participation include IM’s Arthur Ssegwanyi and Elijah Emojong as well as Fide Master (FM) Patrick Kawuma (all from Uganda) and Panchol Madol (South Sudan).
Ssegwanyi, who won the competition in 2013 and is one of the most decorated chess players in East Africa, is the top seed and huge favourite to win the tourney.
He will face opposition from not only his fellow IM’s, but also from the top local players led by reigning national champion Ben Magana, Peter Gilruth, Mehul Gohil and Joseph Methu.
The top seed in the ladies section is reigning national champion Joyce Nyaruai of Technical University of Kenya. Nyaruai will be defending her title during the four-day competition.
However, the entry of Uganda’s top female player, Women Candidate Master Ivy Amoko, will make for an interesting tournament. KCB’s Ben Nguku will be defending his title in the open section.
The winner in the Prestige section will walk away with Sh100,000, with the women’s winner going home with Sh30,000. There will also be cash prizes for players in the juniors section. Chess Kenya chairman Benard Wanjala called on lovers of the sport to register for the event.
“We want to popularise the sport and therefore call on those who appreciate chess to come and show their prowess on the board,” he said.
