Three more wins for Kenya at World Youth Chess Championships in Brazil
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 07.11.24. | 16:39
National junior champion Hawi Kaloki also registered another big victory bringing down highly rated Viana Daniel Fernandes
Kenyan Daniel Baraka Simiyu claimed a significant win in round eight of the World Youth Chess Championships in Brazil.
Simiyu, rated 1565, was coming up against Brazilian Navarro Gustavo Kazuo Yura, rated 1692.
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The Kenyan showed great combinations to pick his opponent’s king and claim victory in the under-16 category.
Kenya had another positive result in the under-16 category as Mathenge Gichuga picked a draw against Huang Chun-Yang from Taiwan. With both players navigating carefully, the game proved a masterclass in defense and patience.
National junior champion Hawi Kaloki also registered another big victory bringing down highly rated Viana Daniel Fernandes who is rated at 2045. The high level proved to be a real king-sized challenge with both players navigating complex endgames with finesse.
Kaloki has now collected 3.5 points in the 11-round tournament with his Elo rating going up by 10 and is likely to leave the competition with a rating of 1900.
In the girls under-18 category, Nelly Kariuki struggled before falling to Lunar Villaman Sofia from Mexico, rated 1573. Despite demonstrating her tactical prowess, Kariuki’s inexperience in the opening and end game eventually caused her victory.
An all-Kenyan affair in the girls under-14 category ended in a draw between Lisa Wanjiru Njoroge and Valma Njoki.
Both players showed determination on the board but could not convert their advantages.
High-riding Zuri Kaloki, rated 1624, squared off against an impressive 1893-rated Latvian, Maklakova Naomi. Though Zuri was up against a higher-rated opponent, her moves reflected the mind of a queen, powerful and calculated.
In the boy's category, Francis Njenga found the going tough against Brazilian Raul Bisconsin who claimed the point. Though outplayed, Njenga manoeuvred his pieces with the precision of a knight showing promise on the board. Wesley Gitau also fell to Brazilian opponent Van Meersbergen Ettienne.
Gitau’s game was a battle of wits, with each move unfolding like a pawn advancing toward promotion.
