KENYAN CHESS BLOG: 2016

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Nairobi Open Chess Championships 2016

Friday, April 15, 2016

Kenya Delisted From FIDE Ratings Server

Kenya has been been delisted from FIDE rating server. Currently no Kenyan player can view their ratings online. This may also jeopardize Kenyan participation in the next chess Olympiad. Most Kenyan players think this was occasioned by failure by Chess Kenya to pay FIDE arrears of Ksh 500,000 ( 5000 $). More to follow.

The kenyan FIDE ratings page

Thursday, April 7, 2016

FIDE Zone 4.2 Championships

Under the auspices of the African Chess Confederation, the Tanzania Chess Association has the honour of inviting Zone 4.2 Federations affiliated to the World Chess Federation (FIDE) to participate in the 2016 Zone 4.2 Individual Chess Championships.

The event will comprise an Open Section and a Women’s section. The Championships will be held from April 22, 2016 (arrival) to May 01, 2016 (departure) at the Peacock Hotel, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

In accordance with FIDE regulations, the Zone 4.2 Individual Chess Championships are open to all players from federations within the Zone 4.2 region which are affiliated to FIDE.

Federations will be allowed to enter a maximum of five (5) players in each category. The host federation reserves the right to field up to seven (7) players in each category and also hold a player in reserve; that can be registered if there are an odd number of participants.

Subject to agreement with the organizers, the Continental President may allow additional participants for the tournament.

It is intended that the Championships will be played in accordance with FIDE regulations as a 9 Round Swiss System tournament.

Time control will be 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one (1)

The winner in the Open Section will be awarded International Master (IM) title whilst the winner in the Women’s Section will be awarded the Woman International Master (WIM) title. Other titles will be awarded depending on performance in accordance with FIDE title requirements.

Purity Maina Is An International Arbiter

Purity Maina

KCF would like to congratulate Purity Maina from Kenya who was awarded her International Arbiter title during the FIDE Presidential Board meeting held in Moscow at the end of March!

By fulfilling all the IA title requirements, Purity has become the very first female international arbiter from the African continent!

We congratulate her on this incredible achievement and wish her well as she continues to fulfill her arbiter functions in her home country and abroad.

Purity also recently qualified as one of our first licensed MiniChess trainers in Kenya and she is currently actively involved with the roll-out of the MiniChess program in Nairobi.

All award given

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Fastest Stalemate In Chess

Kenya Chess Premier League

Web adress www.kcpl.or.ke
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKCPL/
Twitter https://twitter.com/OfficialKCPL
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/officialkcpl/

KAM Pharmacy Chess Rapid Open 40+

FIDE Trainers' Seminar in Nairobi, Kenya

1. Objective: To educate and certify Trainers and Chess-Teachers on an international basis. This FIDE Trainers’ Seminar for FIDE Trainer Titles Diploma is approved by FIDE and the FIDE Trainers’ Commission (TRG). The seminar is co-organised by the FIDE, the African Chess Confederation (ACC), the FIDE Trainers’ Commission (TRG) and the Chess Kenya (CFK).

2. Dates: May 13th to 15th, 2016.

3. Location: Nairobi, Kenya

FIDE TRAINER'S SEMINAR KENYA

We are pleased to announce to you that Chess Kenya will be hosting the above event in Nairobi as from 6th -8th May 2016.
The trainer will be Georg Mohr IGM,FST from Slovenia.

The training will run concurrently with Nairobi Open but training will be beginning at 2.00pm daily.

A committee of 6 people have been appointed to spearhead preparation of this historical event.

Committee Members
Brian Kidula-Chairman
Steve Ouma-Secretary
Paras Gudka
George Ochieng
Satish Deshpande
John Mukabi

ABOUT GEORG MOHR GM, FST

Georg Mohr is International Grandmaster (1997) with current
FIDE rating 2459 (April 2016) and
Peak rating 2523 (Jul 2002)
Georg Mohr is a Slovenian chess player and chess publicist. In 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002, Mohr played for the Slovenian Olympic team. For the next three Chess Olympiads, he was selector of Slovenian Olympic men's team. In 2004 he was awarded the title of FIDE Senior Trainer.

I would like to thank Steve and Nairobi Chess Academy &Club for working closely with interim to make it possible to host this event
More details about registration will follow

GM Georg Mohr

Elo Rating Of Chess Players Over Time

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Kenya Open 2016

Ben Nguku Wins, big pictorial report.

Photos courtesy of Kim Bhari Nairobi Chess Club

By Edwin Korir

Clouds of uncertainty were hanging over the Kenya open chess tournament at Ruaraka over the Easter weekend. Two chess Kenya rival tournaments were scheduled to take place adjacent to each other; at KCB club and Stima club. Ultimately the venue with the boards, the clocks and more players hosted the tournament. So when the games begun without some top dogs it seemed the Kenya open was a free for all affair.

Ben Nguku had other ideas though; So much for the theory that this was going to be a weekend for peter gilruth and Mehul Gohil to measure themselves against the other runs of Kenyan chess. They may as well have waved a white flag from the moment Nguku landed in the team-sheet as he tormented the opposition to such an extent that he seemed invisible.

Starting off with a draw in a state no one could surely play chess, Nguku picked one win after the other culminating in a 7/8 score to win the Kenya open. His list of casualties included Morell Omondi, Ronald Bolo, Vasanth Ramesh, CM Wachira Wachania, Mehul Gohil and James Muchai. By the end, it was a sobering reminder for new Kenyan chess players that when it comes to the hierarchy of chess in Kenya the old school still sit atop the table.

PICTORIAL; Photos From Nairobi Chess Club

Deep Thought

Nice move

Lawrence Kagambi left and Mehul Gohil faced off in the last round. Mehul won

The playing hall at KCB club was nice and comfortable.

The entarance to KCB 'lions den'.

Ricky sang, Victor Ngani and Moses Andiwoh converse

Deep Thinking

Jane Wambugu on her way to winning the Kenya Open Ladies title.

Ricky Sang

The Ladies section

Kenyan Chess queens

Moses andiwoh in one of his games

The youngsters were there too.

The chess pieces used in the event were slightly smaller than the normal tournament pieces.

Blinfold thinking

Lawrence Kagambi had a great tournament.

Ben Nguku was simply unstoppable

This teacher had brought some of his students to play.

Acrobatics

Deep Focus

This players beards was a head turner.

Trying to remember home prep

Is that an alien on his head?

What next

Post Game Analysis

What is going on?

One of the standout perfomance of the tournament was by Wilson opondo. He ended the tournament with a 5/8 score.

One of the many 12 year olds around.

'Duke' was the tournament director/arbiter.

John Mukabi the interim secretary general .

You were saying

What is my next move

Analysis tables

One of the longest games of the tournament.

Panchol 'Panadol' Madol. Special mention should be given to panchol, this guy should be playing for kenya! He scored 6.5/8 to tie with Peter Gilruth for second.