Kenyans dazzle at ongoing Africa Schools Chess Championships
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 18.12.24. | 13:42
After five rounds, Kenya has four players in the top ten standings
Kenyan players have kept pace with the leading pack at the ongoing Africa Schools Chess Championships in Ghana.
In the under-11 category, Nakuru-based Annabel Makanga beat Jeshurun Obiri Yeboah from Ghana to move to four points and is now placed second.
Yeboah is still at the top with 4.5 points despite losing to the Kenyan in their round-five match.
In other positive results by the Kenyan players, Prudence Kimeli stopped Chisina Dominic from the host country while Nyaribo Ava stopped another Ghanaian player Glen Johnson.
Gene Pence Barasa was too good for Li Zhi from Zimbabwe while Nigel Ngigi Njoroge edged out Nana Koffi from Ghana.
The match between Kenyan Joseph Gacura and Malawian Bigman James ended in favour of the former.
After five rounds, Kenya has four players in the top ten standings. Nigel Njoroge on three points is in sixth position while Gene Pence who has collected 2.5 points lies seventh.
Joseph Gacura is leading in the under-13 category with 3.5 points. A total of six countries, hosts Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Gambia are taking part in the tournament which ends on Saturday 21 December.
The tournament is being held for the first time since 2021 when it was last hosted in Kenya.
Kenya will host next year’s event from May 22-29 in Mombasa. Elsewhere, former Kenya National Chess League Champions KCB are beefing up their squad ahead of the new season.
The bankers finished fourth last season and team manager Isaac Babu says they are determined to win the title again.
“It was disappointing to finish in fourth position last season and we have learnt from our mistakes. We are coming back in a big way next year,” he said.
Coming back into the team is former national champion Martin Njoroge who previously played for Black Nights. The team has also signed Hugh Misikho from Equity Bank.
.jpg)