Three Grand Masters register for Mavens International Chess Tournament with Ksh2 million prize purse
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 03.03.26. | 15:28
The tournament will be the second high-profile event on Kenyan soil after the Kenya Open held in 2023
A record three Grand Masters (GMs) have registered for the second edition of the Mavens International Chess Tournament set to be held from Thursday, 19 to Sunday, 22 March.
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Organisers have announced that all Grand Masters and the first ten International Masters will be given free accommodation during the Ksh2 million tournament.
Ukraine-based GM Bernadskiy Vitaliy is among those who have so far registered. With a rating of 2514, he remains the highest-rated player in the four-day event so far.
The Czech Republic’s Plat Vojtech, with a rating of 2457 and Hungary’s Czebe Attila have also registered.
So far, an additional three International Masters (IM), Silva David from Angola, Arthur Ssegwanyi from Uganda and Zambia’s Andrew Kayonde will also be taking part in the tournament.
The tournament will be the second high-profile event on Kenyan soil after the Kenya Open held in 2023.
The winner of the open category will walk away with an impressive Ksh750,000 prize fund.
Runners-up in the open category will earn Ksh150,000, with the third-placed player pocketing Ksh50,000.
In the ladies’ category, the winner will pocket Ksh150,000, while the runners-up will bank Ksh70,000, and the third-placed player will get Ksh30,000.
There will also be prizes for the Best University players in both the Open and Ladies category as well as People Living with Disabilities.
A junior category of the event will be held on Saturday, 21 March, with special prizes to be given out to the winners.
Organisers have announced entry fees of Ksh1,500 for the junior event. Members of the Mavens Club will pay Ksh1,000 to take part in the junior event.
Entry fees for the Open category is Ksh2,000, but members of the club will pay Ksh1,500.
Corporate clubs will pay an entry fee of Ksh3,500. Last year, the tournament had a prize fund of Ksh260,000.
The tournament will be the third grand prix event after the Eldoret Open, which was held on February 8-9, and the Kisumu Open tournament to be held this weekend.