Mehul Gohil ends South Sudan's dominance by winning Kiambu Open Chess Championships
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 12.05.25. | 15:18
Going into the last match against Manyang from South Sudan, Gohil said his opponent was a better player
Former national champion Mehul Gohil is the winner of this year’s Kiambu Open Chess Championship.
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Gohil bounced back to prominence after stopping South Sudanese Peter Manyang in the last round to win the two-day tournament with a maximum six points.
It was a big relief for Mehul, who has been struggling for a podium finish in recent events despite his status, and he deservedly walked away with the Ksh40,000 prize fund on offer.
Gohil also becomes the first Kenyan to win an Open event this year, breaking the dominance of players from South Sudan.
Speaking after the event, Gohil said the victory had come as a result of great improvement over the last 15 months.
“Believe me, it has not been easy. Much work, chess and psychological improvements had to be done. Point is, never say die,” he said.
Going into the last match against Manyang from South Sudan, Gohil said his opponent was a better player.
“He is a careful and super accurate player and ready to go aggressive when needed. Going through his games over lunch break, I felt he was more like 2200.
The exact point his nerves collapsed was when he could no longer bear the tension of my knight threatening, though I didn't see anything conclusive.
He made a major positional error gifting me the bishop pair, which, with the mobile central pawn mass, was extremely powerful. It was one way after that,” said Gohil.
After losing his final game, Manyang finished in third position with five points. Wech Adol from South Sudan finished second with 5.5 points.
Victor Ngani, another former Kenyan champion, finished in fourth position, also on five points same as Samuel Gong from South Sudan, who came home in fifth position.
In the ladies category, Julie Mutisya won the championship on five points after edging out Nicole Albright in the final match.
The biggest surprise in this category was Bernice Wambui, who finished runners-up with 4.5 points.
Wambui, a former national youth champion, finished ahead of more established players.
Elsewhere, three Kenyan players left the country on Monday morning for Egypt to take part in the Africa Individual Chess Championship.
They include national champion Robert Macligeyo, Kimingi Kimingi and Sasha Mongeli.
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