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Kenyan ladies dominant in ongoing Kireka Open Chess Championships
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 30.12.24. | 14:33
The Kaloki siblings, Hawi Kaloki and Zuri Kaloki, will represent Kenya in the event
Former national champion Joyce Nyaruai, who plays for KCB, is leading at the end of round four with a maximum of four points after beating fellow Kenyan Nicole Albright in the ongoing Kireka Open Chess Championships.
Despite losing to Albright, who is just coming back to play after a six-month leave, Nyaruai lies in third spot with three points.
A total of five Kenyans are in the top five. Kenya national champion Sasha Mongeli is in seventh position and appears to be having a difficult tournament.
She lost her round-four match to Ugandan Penina Makabo. Equity Bank’s Julie Mutisya is placed in fifth place with three points after she beat another Kenyan, Zuri Kaloki.
Fantalis Nduta completes the top ten position with 2.5 points. In the Open category, Brian Toboso is the highest-ranked Kenyan, as he ranked position 15 with three points.
Ugandans and South Sudanese players have dominated this category and look favourites to run away with the title.
Defending champion Gong Thon Thong from South Sudan is at the top with a maximum of four points after he upset Elijah Emojong from Uganda.
Thong and Uganda’s Ssonko Mathias are the only players at the top with four points.
The tournament’s highest-ranked player, Arthur Ssengwenyi, is lying tenth with three points, and with four rounds to go, he will need to fight hard to do meet the expectations.
Elsewhere, dates for next year’s World Junior Chess Championships have been released.
The event will be held from February 23 to March 8 in Montenegro.
The Kaloki siblings, Hawi Kaloki and Zuri Kaloki, will represent Kenya in the event.
They are the National Junior Champions in the boys and girls category, having won it in November.
The winner of the boys category will walk away with Ksh. 402,000, the runners-up Ksh. 268,000, and the third-placed Ksh. 134,000. The girl winner pocketed Ksh. 268,000, the runners-up Ksh. 167500, and the third-placed Sh. 100,500.
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