4th seed Ben Magana suffers massive upset in Eldoret Open Chess Championships
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 25.01.25. | 16:17
In the ladies category, there were no surprise results as all the top players won their matches
Temoli Remi rated 1710 caused the day’s only upset after he beat fourth seed Ben Magana in the first round of the Eldoret Open Chess tournament at St. Luke’s Conference Hall on Saturday.
Magana from KCB was among the only three players rated more than 2,000 taking part in the two-day event.
Rated at 2012 the former Kenyan champion was the favourite to win in the first round but he blundered towards the end game to lose the match.
All the other top seeds easily won their matches in a strong field that constituted 250 players, 19 of them rated 1900 and above.
Ugandan Waswa Nyola rated 2082 and the tournament’s top seed beat Paul Kisindo to ensure a positive start.
Kenya number one Hawi Kaloki from KCB picked free points in the first round after his opponent Alex Kipkoech failed to turn up.
Former Kenyan champion Joseph Methu also won his match after beating Apollo Alier.
Current National champion Robert Macligeyo is not taking part in the tournament as he is preparing for the upcoming Zone 4.2 championships to be held at Utalii Hotel.
In the ladies category, there were no surprise results as all the top players won their matches.
Julie Mutisya from Equity Bank beat Abigail Waswa as former under-14 champion Elizabeth Cassidy won against Susan Kimani.
Veteran Gloria Jumba beat Brenda Changaya. Shukri Shakira from Victoria Chess Club won her match against Laurecia Atiagaga.
This is the second Grand Prix tournament in the Chess Kenya calendar coming after the East Africa Junior Chess Championships held in Mombasa last weekend.
At the Nairobi Gymkhanq club, Ezekiel Karani beat Bradley Wathimba on the first day of the 15th Casablanca Cup.
The two-day tournament has a prize fund of Ksh70,000 and has attracted 65 players.
In another match, Collins Young was too good for former African under-8 champion Winnie Kaburo. Cyprian Mbabu also won his opening match against Jeremiah Machar.
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