
Nyaruai wins as Kenyans blow hot and cold in Africa Games chess qualifier
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 12.01.24. | 09:30
Apart from picking slots for the African games, there will also be cash prizes for the winners
Kenyan ladies registered mixed results on the first day of the Zone 4.4 chess championships which started in Madagascar on Thursday.
Former national champion Joyce Nyaruai won her match against home girl Aina Mahasambatra in a match that lasted close to four hours.
Nyaruai is the tournament’s top seed but her struggle to beat her opponent proves the high competition expected in this year’s event which has attracted ten countries.
While Nyaruai won her match, fourth seed Julie Mutisya another Kenyan fell at the hands of her Madagascar opponent Lalasoa Irina.
Inexperienced Joy Kiplagat lost to Ethiopian Merhawit Brhane while the fourth Kenyan Makungu Nelyvin got a bye in the first round.
In the men’s category, Djibouti’s Nour Farhan Nour forced former Kenya national champion Victor Ngani to a draw.
Ngani expressed relief after picking a draw describing his opponent who is unrated as surprisingly strong.
“I played my last two games with two minutes on the clock. A draw is a fair result,” he said after the match.
The tournament which comes to an end on January 20 is part of the qualifiers for this year’s All-Africa games.
Apart from picking slots for the African games, there will also be cash prizes for the winners.
The winner of the men's section will pocket Sh.225,000 with the runners-up getting Sh.100,000. Third place will earn Sh.60,000 and fourth and fifth-placed participants getting Sh.25,000 and Sh.15,000 respectively.
In the women's category, the winner will earn Sh.125,000 with the runners-up leaving Sh.60,000 richer. There will also be cash prizes for the third-placed (Sh.30,000) and fourth-placed (Sh.15,000) finishers.













