Uganda players dominate at Kireka Open Chess Championships
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 31.12.24. | 21:07
In the men category, Ugandan players won the first two positions with FIDE Master (FM) Haruna Nsubuga picking seven points out of a possible eight
Ugandan players dominated in the Kireka Open chess championship after winning both the open and ladies categories in Kampala.
Former national champion Joyce Nyaruai who had been leading until the fifth round was the highest ranked Kenyan as she finished second in the ladies category.
Nyaruai picked six points.
She was denied outright victory after losing to Uganda’s Sana Omparakash Kayyar in the seventh round.
The highly rated Ugandan with an impressive 1958 rating was too much for the Kenyan top lady.
Kenyan teenager Kaloki Zuri will also be happy with her performance after she finished in fourth position with six points.
She finished ahead of much stronger Kenyans like national champion Sasha Mongeli who settled for sixth spot after collecting 5.5 points.
Other top Kenyan ladies Nicole Albright and Julie Mutisya also did not perform well though they still managed a top ten finish after picking the ninth and tenth spots with five points each.
The ladies category was won by Uganda’s Penina Nakabo after she collected 6.5 points.
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Nakabo won her last match against Sana Omprakash to ensure victory and pocketed Sh.50,000 for her victory.
In the men category, Ugandan players won the first two positions with FIDE Master (FM) Haruna Nsubuga picking seven points out of a possible eight to dethrone defending champion Gong Thon Gong from South Sudan who could only finish in sixth position with six points.
Abel Matovu also from Uganda finished second also with seven points.
Ngong Samuel was the top South Sudanese player after he finished in third place with 6.5 points.
The tournament’s highest rated player Arthur Ssengwanyi finished a distant 65th position with just four points.
Ssengwanyi is one of the only two International Master (IM) players in the whole of East and Central Africa and his performance at home will be a big cause of concern to the player.
The highest performing Kenyans were Rishit Ravat, Samuel Onsongo, Nathaniel Manyeki and Kyle Kuka who all finished with 5.5 points.
The four day tournament had 250 players from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Sudan and Somali.
It is the last event of the year and has become popular over the years as it is an opportunity for players to close the year on a positive note.
This year, Kenya entered 27 players the highest number ever.
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