(Press release courtesy of Westlands Chess Club)
After winning first place in two consecutive tournaments, WeCC member Sharanya Iyengar continues to dazzle the nation – being featured on major TV stations and in the print media.
Included below is an article from the ‘young nation’ supplement of the Sunday Nation on 10th June 2012:
(Press release courtesy of Uganda Chess Federation)
National Chess League leaders, Mulago Kings maintained their lead after beating Uganda Chess Academy 4.5-1.5 and City Chess Club 4.5-0.5 in third and fourth round games played at Hotel Africana on Sunday 10th June 2012.
Round 3 games underway at Hotel Africana
Mulago Knights sneaked into second position with 15.5 points after beating Entebbe Knightmare Chess Club 4-1 and Bank of Uganda 5-0.
Aviation Chess Club consolidated themselves in third position with 15 points after notching two crucial victories including a 4.5-1.5 win over Mengo and 3.5-1.5 win over Mulago Pawns.
DMARK Power led by National Chess Champion, Arthur Ssegwanyi and FM Elijah Emojong moved from second to fifth position after they were held to a 2.5-2.5 draw by City Chess Club in the third round after City’s Rajab Kamoga upset Olympiad bound Ssegwanyi. Emojong pulled back by beating City’s Daniel Baagadde.
In other league games, Mulago Queens beat Lweza Kings 3-2 and lost to Uganda Chess Academy 2-3, Mulago Rooks beat Barclays Bank 5-0, and Entebbe Knightmare 3.5-1.5, Kireka drew with Makindye 2.5-2.5 and beat Mengo 3-2, Makerere University Business School (MUBS) beat Lweza 4-1 and Corner House Chess Club 4.5-0.5. In the afternoon, Corner House lost to Makerere University 4-1 but had a great in which Cornerhouse’s Chairman Bata Charles Kironde led by example beating MUK’s Captain Edmund Wagido after a long tactical battle in an interesting encounter that drew massive crowds.
In the Kings – City game, Kings’ Harold Wanyama, CM Patrick Kawuma, Grace Nsubuga and Debby Wanja beat City’s Rajab Kamoga, Daniel Baagadde, Aaron Kanaabi and Irene Kanayiwa respectively while Kings’ Farouk Fauza drew with Isaac Otim.
In the Aviation – Mengo game, Aviation’s FM Andrew Naimanye, FM Stephen Kisuze, Vianney Luggya and Peter Maguzi beat Mengo’s Joe Kaamu, James Nkemba, Ivan Seguya and Vianney Mukalazi respectively as Joan Nakimuli drew with Cathy Kenyange.
The detailed standings are as follows:
(Press release courtesy of Uganda Chess Federation)
Uganda’s Olympiad bound Harold Wanyama was the star performer in the just ended Kenya Open Chess Championships after winning the event with 8 points out of a possible 9 in the event held from 1 – 3 June 2012 at Kenyatta University in Kenya.
The win earned Wanyama a prestigious trophy and a cash prize of 30,000 Kenya Shillings. In second position was Kenya’s Peter Gilruth who scooped 7.5 points followed by Githinji Hinga and Ben Magana at 7 points each.
CM Patrick Kawuma, Haruna Nsubuga and Isaac Otim are the other Ugandans who participated in the Open category that attracted a total of 97 participants.
The brilliant win was the perfect preparation for Wanyama who along with Kawuma are part of Uganda’s team to the 40th World Chess Olympiad due to be held in Istanbul, Turkey in August 2012.
In the ladies category, Uganda’s Christine Namaganda finished in fifth position out of 24 participants with 5.5 points out of 9. The ladies category was historically won by a 9 year old, Sharanya Iyengar with 8 points followed by two other Kenyans Isabelle Asiema and Gweyani Jumba.
Prize Winners:
Ladies Section
Open Section
Best Junior
Best Debutante
Chess activity in Rwanda, received a boost last month when a 5-round chess competition was held at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology from 2nd to 22nd May. While many students of the tertiary institute could not attend due to exams, the event still managed to attract 12 participants.
A KIST Chess Competition participant finds himself in trouble playing black
The winners Kevin Ganza, Gai Solomon and Dieudonne Shimirwa received cash prizes of RWF 15,000, RWF 10,000 and RWF 5,000 respectively.
Winners pose with their prize envelopes (L-R): Kevin Ganza, Gai Solomon, Dieudonne Shimirwa
Top 10 final standings were as follows:
An exciting start to Phase One of the Olympiad Qualifiers saw the return of the Kenya Open Chess Championships after many years with an impressive turnout of 22 ladies and 98 men at Kenyatta University’s Students’ Services and Business Centre.
In the Ladies section, Sharanya Iyengar caused the upset of the day by defeating Uganda’s Christine Namaganda who was favourite-to-win at the start of the tournament, in Round 2. She remains joint first with compatriots Jane Wambugu, Isabelle Asiema and Gweyani Jumba having won all three of her games.
In the Open section, Ugandan Patrick Kawuma fresh from his selection in the Olympiad team was joined by Martin Gateri, Githinji Hinga, Ugandan Harold Wanyama, Joseph Atwoli and 5 others at the top with 3 points each.
At the end of 3 rounds, the top 10 standings in each section were as follows:
Ladies Category:
Open Category:
Round 4 is scheduled to begin at 9 am on Saturday, 2nd June 2012.
(Press release courtesy of Uganda Chess Federation)
Five Ugandan chess players led by Olympian Harold Wanyama yesterday departed for Nairobi, Kenya to take part in the Kenya Open Chess Championship that runs from Friday 1 – Sunday 3 June 2012 at Kenyatta University Main Campus along Thika Road.
The other players to take part in the event are Candidate Master (CM) Patrick Kawuma, Haruna Nsubuga, Isaac Otim and Christine Namaganda (lady).
The event is doubling as the first phase of the Olympiad Qualifiers for neighbours Kenya as they seek to determine a team that will represent them at the 40th World Chess Olympiad to be held in Istanbul, Turkey from 27 August to 10 September 2012.
The event will act as a timely warm up for Uganda’s Wanyama and Kawuma who are part of Uganda’s team to this year’s Olympiad.
The winner will reportedly walk away with a cash prize of 30,000 Kenya Shillings, second 15,000 Kenya Shillings and third 10,000 Kenya Shillings. The top prize for the ladies category in which Namaganda will be competing is 15,000 Kenya Shillings. The event is sponsored by Kenya Power and Lighting Company.
A total of nine (9) rounds will be played with three games per day using a time control of one hour for each player implying a maximum of two hours per game.
Mt. Kenya Junior Chess Committee is organising the 20th edition of the Mount Kenya Junior Chess Championship on Saturday, 2nd June 2012 at St. Mary’s Boys Secondary School, Nyeri. Details follow.
Date: Saturday, 2nd June 2012
Time: 8 am
Venue: St. Mary’s Boys Secondary School, Kimathi Way, Nyeri
Categories: Under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 & 18 Boys and Girls
Mode of Play: 6 rounds Swiss system
Time Controls: 30 minutes per player to finish the game
Walkover Time: 15 minutes after start of round
Entry Fee: KES 500
Prizes:
Rules and Regulations:
For more information contact Tournament Director – Watson Weru on 0722 355 790.
Text: Uganda Chess Federation
Photos: Ivy Amoko
The National Chess League kicked off on a high with a record 20 clubs in action at Hotel Africana on Sunday 27 May 2012 including a new club DMARK Power Chess Club which seems set to give defending champions, Mulago Kings Chess Club a run for their money.
National Chess League matches in progress
DMARK Power started off with two wins in the first two rounds against Mulago Queens 4.5-1.5 and against Uganda Chess Academy (UCA) 3-2. DMARK is led by National Champion, Arthur Ssegwanyi who beat UCA’s Walter Okas and FM Elijah Emojong who beat Emmanuel Mwaka to get to second position with 7.5 points.
Round 2: Arthur Ssegwanyi of DMARK Power (right) v/s Walter Okas of Uganda Chess Academy (left)
Round 2: Emmanuel Mwaka of Uganda Chess Academy (right) v/s Elijah Emojong of DMARK Power (left)
On their part, Mulago Kings started off from where they stopped last year whipping newcomers Lweza Kings 5-0 and Mulago Queens 4-1 to get to the summit with 9 points. In the Kings – Queens game, Harold Wanyama, CM Patrick Kawuma, Grace Nsubuga, and Farouk Fauza beat Queens’ Goretti Angolikin, Grace Kigeni, Phiona Mutesi and Rita Nsubuga while Queens’ Damalie Natembo pulled one back by beating Hellen Namusisi.
Round 2: Mulago Kings v/s Mulago Queens
Third placed Aviation Chess Club was inspired by the return to competitive action of East Africa’s highest rated Eng. FM Andrew Naimanye and FM Stephen Kisuze to win two games against Makerere University 3.5-1.5 and against Makindye Chess Club 3.5-1.5.
In the Aviation – Makindye game, Aviation’s FM Naimanye drew with MUK’s Ivan Meri as Vianney Luggya, Peter Maguzi and Joan Nakimuli beat MUK’s Wasswa Douglas, Edmund Wagido and Rose Amule respectively. MUK’s Richard Talemwa pulled one back after beating Aviation’s Patrick Ojok.
The other new teams, Makerere University Business School (MUBS) drew with Kireka 2.5-2.5 and beat UCU 4-1 while Entebbe Knightmare Chess Club led by a Kenyan Mike Kinuthia beat Mengo 3-2 and Mulago Pawns 3-2.
Mengo beat Bank of Uganda Chess Club 3-2, as Barclays Bank Chess Club were waylaid by Mulago Knights losing 0-4.
Last year’s runners up City Chess Club still reeling from the loss of their inspirational Haruna Nsubuga to MUBS were held to a 2.5 – 2.5 draw by Mulago Rooks.
The third round of the National Chess League will be played on Sunday 10th June 2012 at Hotel Africana with some interesting games featuring leaders Mulago Kings against Uganda Chess Academy and second placed DMARK up for a tough challenge against City Chess Club.
The ranking after two rounds is as follows:
Chess Kenya have announced details for the upcoming Kenya Open Chess Championships to be held over the long weekend of 1st, 2nd and 3rd June 2012 at Kenyatta University’s Students’ Services and Business Centre, Thika Road. This tournament will also serve as Phase One of the 2012 Istanbul Chess Olympiad qualifiers. Details follow.
Poster for Kenya Open Chess Championships
Kenya Open Chess Championships – Event Details
Dates: Friday, 1st, Saturday, 2nd and Sunday, 3rd June 2012
Time: 9 am to 5 pm on all days
Venue: Students’ Services and Business Centre, Kenyatta University, Thika Road, Nairobi
Categories: Open and Ladies
Mode of Play: 9 rounds Swiss system
Time Controls: 60 minutes per player to finish the game
Walkover Time: 15 minutes after start of round
Entry Fee:
(To pay via M-PESA, send Kshs 1,025/- to 0722 452 458)
Registration Deadline: 5 pm on Monday, 28th May 2012
(Payments made afterwards will attract a Ksh 200 late registration fee. Registration closes at 1000Hrs on June 1st 2012, entries after Rd1 pairing will miss Round 1.)
Prizes:
Open
Ladies
Special Debutante/Junior Prize
Tournament Organisers: Githinji Hinga and Lawrence Kagambi
Chief Arbiter: FA Isaac Babu
Schedule:
Friday, 1st June 2012
Saturday, 2nd June 2012
Sunday, 3rd June 2012
PLEASE NOTE:
(Report courtesy of Rehema Kimulu)
The Chess For Peace event is a first of its kind in Kenya. It was held on 12th May, 2012 at Peace House along Haille Sellasie Avenue. It seeks to promote the game of Chess as well as promote peace ventures among the young people, children, teenagers and young adults alike. The initiators sought to have the prowess and presence of the long and well established organization, Universal Peace Federation at the event. A mini tournament was held and the young people battled it out for the top positions before calling it a day.
Participants listen keenly to the speaker
Chess is a game of the mind. It, however, also requires that one be of good physical health also, to be able to maintain stamina-in the case of a long game, for instance during Chess Olympiads or really strong games.
The idea behind Chess For Peace centers around the fact/ideology that being a game of war that is executed on a 1 foot by 1 foot board, with 32 ‘men’ who are participate in the ‘war’, it does not extend beyond the board-the players make or maintain friendships, extend their goodwill and maintain that ‘Wars Stay On The Board’.
The audience taking in the message of 'Chess for Peace'
The Chess For Peace project aims to reach out to every young and enthusiastic person within Nairobi and hopefully spread their wings to other parts of the country. One needs not to be a professional Chess player to participate as everyone is welcome.
Event organiser Rehema Kimulu listens to the speaker
The event began with a word of prayer from the chief guest, Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation Rev. E. Tanui who proceeded to sensitize the youth about the Universal Principles of Peace.
The tournament began in the afternoon after everything had been set up and names paired using the Swiss Perfect software for pairing players. A total of 32 players submitted their names to participate while the rest kept watch and continued with the exhibition.
The tournament was set for 6 rounds with each round taking 30 minutes of play.
The Chess for Peace tournament in progress
Some of the 32 participants of the Chess for Peace tournament
Below is the list of players and their scores:
The winners were as follows:
Overall
Ladies