Equity Bank qualify for historic FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship finals
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 11.11.25. | 16:03
The Kenyan team will compete against some of the world’s biggest companies, including Microsoft, Deloitte, GRECO, UBS, Google, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, ERG, Freedom Holding and Tech Mahindra
Equity Bank Chess Club will take part in the finals of the FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship, set for Friday, 14 to Sunday, 16 November, in Goa, India.
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The bank’s qualification marks a historic first for East Africa, following a gruelling online knockout tournament in October that featured more than 30 corporations worldwide. Only eight teams advanced to the over-the-board finals — and Equity made the cut.
The FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship, launched in New York in 2024, brings together teams of non-professional players from leading organisations to compete for the title of “The Smartest Company in the World.”
Equity’s success underscores its growing global presence beyond finance. The bank, which serves over 22 million customers across six African nations, is known for linking intellectual discipline with purpose-driven leadership.
Its social arm, the Equity Group Foundation, has invested heavily in education and leadership programs, shaping the next generation of African changemakers.
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The Equity Chess Team has long dominated local tournaments, winning the Kenya National Premier League three times and claiming eight Interbank Games titles.
The team has also represented Kenya internationally — at the Africa Club Championship in Cairo and the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships in London earlier this year.
The Kenyan team will compete against some of the world’s biggest companies, including Microsoft, Deloitte, GRECO, UBS, Google, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, ERG, Freedom Holding and Tech Mahindra.
Equity have picked five players who will represent them at the event and will be led by team captain Njagi Kabugu, Victor Ongono, Brian Ovita, Hubert Kimani and Stephen Waweru.
In Goa, finalists will enjoy full sponsorship for travel and accommodation, VIP access to the FIDE World Cup, and opportunities for networking with global industry leaders and chess grandmasters.
This is the second major event that the Kenyan bank is taking part in after featuring in the World Rapid tournament that was held in London in June.
