Text and Photographs: Paras Gudka
The 2012 Nairobi Chess League got off to an interesting start on 28th January 2012 when 16 teams – the highest number of teams seen at any Nairobi Chess League – sat down for their first matches of the league at Goan Gymkhana. To accommodate 64 team members playing simultaneously the hosts Nairobi Chess Club had ordered extra tables and chairs and tournament director Kim Bhari himself had 2 assistants this time.
Round 1: Lion Kings (left) v/s Nairobi Chess Club (right)
Round 1: WeCC Thoroughbreds (right) v/s NCA Team 1 (left)
Coach Latha with her 2 teams - Triton Kids and Triton Stars
Players and spectators at the start of Round 2
Results were as follows:
Round 1
Lion Kings (3) v/s Nairobi Chess Club (1)
- Ben Magana (1) – Nikolai van Beek (0)
- Githinji Hinga (1) – Warren Pollack (0)
- Ben Nguku (1) – Jules Cerera (0)
- Ben Omondi (0) – Raj Shah (1)
Stima Chess Club (0) v/s Sicilian Simbas (4)
- Mathew Kiama (0) – Mehul Gohil (1)
- Akello Atwoli (0) – Collins Young (1)
- Absent (0) – Njuru Mwangi (1)
- Absent (0) – Ian Odhiambo (1)
Kenyatta University (4) v/s Maycan Queens (0)
- Jacktone Mony (1) – Winioge Nyota (0)
- Victor Hongo (1) – Juliet Kamiri (0)
- Austin Walela (1) – Sara Wanga (0)
- Andrew Owili (1) – Sanjana (0)
Braeburn High School (1) v/s Mating Zombies (3)
- Kiran Sakhyani (0) – Edward Oluoch (1)
- Kwai Kwai (0) – Brian Adorwa (1)
- Erwin Kalis (1) – Brian Toboso (0)
- Ashwath Raman (0) – Ben Wanjala (1)
Mighty Pawns (3.5) v/s Triton Kids (0.5)
- Wily Simons (1) – Darshan Shah (0)
- Jeneby Mamoon (1) – Japvinit Kaur (0)
- Charles Kalavi (1) – Veer Shah (0)
- Rehema Maria (0.5) – Hardiv Karania (0.5)
Triton Stars (1) v/s University of Nairobi (3)
- Riya Shah (0) – Cheriyot Elvis (1)
- Sharanya Iyengar (0) – Brian Inima (1)
- Saloni Karania (0) – Kamau Kineora (1)
- Rithvik Pendyala (1) – Nicodemus Ndonge (0)
WeCC Thoroughbreds (3.5) v/s NCA Team 1 (0.5)
- Hesbon Omanjo (1) – Srinjay Mukhopadhyay (0)
- Irfaan Juma (0.5) – Kais Mussa (0.5)
- Adarsh Gudhka (1) – Dev Shah (0)
- Isabelle Asiema (1) – Sathya Iyer (0)
Kenya Polytechnic (4) v/s NCA Team 2 (0)
- Lual Kual (1) – Abivishaq Bala (0)
- Haron Mwangi (1) – Subham Rai (0)
- Marietta Mzera (1) – Kalyn Mussa (0)
- Kelly Ochieng (1) – Roshni Raichura (0)
Round 2
Mighty Pawns (1) v/s Lion Kings (3)
- Wily Simons (0) – Ben Magana (1)
- Jeneby Mamoon (0) – Githinji Hinga (1)
- Charles Kalavi (0) – Ben Nguku (1)
- Rehema Maria (1) – Chahindi Mbui (0)
Sicilian Simbas (3.5) v/s WeCC Thoroughbreds (0.5)
- Mehul Gohil (0.5) – Hesbon Omanjo (0.5)
- Wachira Wachania (1) – Irfaan Juma (0)
- Collins Young (1) – Adarsh Gudhka (0)
- Njuru Mwangi (1) – Isabelle Asiema (0)
University of Nairobi (3) v/s Kenyatta University (1)
- James Muchai (1) – Jacktone Mony (0)
- Cheriyot Elvis (0) – Victor Hongo (1)
- Brian Inima (1) – Austin Walela (0)
- Kamau Kineora (1) – Elijah Kamau (0)
Mating Zombies (3.5) v/s NCA Team 2 (0.5)
- Edward Oluoch (1) – Abivishaq Bala (0)
- Brian Adorwa (1) – Subham Rai (0)
- Brian Toboso (0.5) – Kalyn Mussa (0.5)
- Chrispus Kamau (1) – Roshni Raichura (0)
Kenya Polytechnic (3) v/s Braeburn High School (1)
- Lual Kual (1) – Abivishaq Bala (0)
- John Gaitho (1) – Kiran Sakhyani (0)
- Haron Mwangi (0) – Erwin Kalis (1)
- Marietta Mzera (1) – Ashwath Raman (0)
Nairobi Chess Club (4) v/s Triton Kids (0)
- Nikolai van Beek (1) – Darshan Shah (0)
- Warren Pollack (1) – Japvinit Kaur (0)
- Jules Cerera (1) – Veer Shah (0)
- Sergey Kamai (1) – Hardiv Karania (0)
NCA Team 1 (3) v/s Stima Chess Club (0)
- Srinjay Mukhopadhyay (1) – Absent (0)
- Kais Mussa (0) – Mathew Kiama (1)
- Dev Shah (1) – Absent (0)
- Sathya Iyer (1) – Absent (0)
Maycan Queens (1) v/s Triton Stars (3)
- Winioge Nyota (0) – Riya Shah (1)
- Juliet Kamiri (0) – Sharanya Iyengar (1)
- Sara Wanga (1) – Saloni Karania (0)
- Sanjana (0) – Rithvik Pendyala (1)
Standings after Round 2
1. Sicilian Simbas – 2 match points (7.5 game points)
2. Mating Zombies – 2 match points (6.5 game points)
3. Lion Kings – 2 match points (6 game points)
3. University of Nairobi – 2 match points (6 game points)
3. Kenya Polytechnic – 2 match points (6 game points)
4. Kenyatta University – 1 match point (5 game points)
4. Nairobi Chess Club – 1 match point (5 game points)
5. Mighty Pawns – 1 match point (4.5 game points)
6. WeCC Thoroughbreds – 1 match point (4 game points)
6. Triton Stars – 1 match point (4 game points)
7. NCA Team 1 – 1 match point (3.5 game points)
8. Braeburn High School – 0 match points (2 game points)
9. NCA Team 2 – 0 match points (1.5 game points)
10. Stima Chess Club – 0 match points (1 game point)
10. Maycan Queens – 0 match points (1 game point)
11. Triton Kids – 0 match points (0.5 game points)