Kenyans love their Potatoes & Eggs!

This week I got the following email from the League of Young Professionals Kenya.  I am not sure how they got my email but that does not matter.  They are having a Sports day this weekend which is great for Kenyans to enjoy themselves............but I am concerned.  Seriously concerned.


Events like Potato Race, Egg Race have taken preference over my beloved game of chess which does not even feature??!!!


I think it is time they got an email from me!


Those of you who will attend this event I would love to hear from you....


The League of Young Professionals Kenya cordially invites you for the Annual Sports Day to be held this coming Saturday, 1st of October atRailways Sports Ground, Nairobi as from 10:00am to 4.00pm.

Come test your physical endurance and body fitness, have fun and win prizes by participating in an array of sports for the day.  This includes athletics 100m, 200m, 400, 800m, 1500m, Soccer Matches 5-Aside, Volleyball, Tyre Race, Potato Race, Egg Race And Skipping Ropes.

Genesis 1 - be fruitful & multiply

First God made heaven & earth ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God.........................................And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."

I know many of you must be wondering what on earth has gone over me when I start the quote from the Bible!!  I am just amazed at our Federation.....................Chess Kenya. It seems that they have just read Genesis  1 and suddenly gone out and registered branches all over the country.

Pastor Albert Mwilitsa (left) plays CK Committee member Steve Ouma while Vice Chairman Francis Ngesa (blue shirt) standing and Mary Kinyua Committee Member in blue shirt sitting.

Chess Kenya have appointed Pastor Albert Mwilitsa as Chairman of North Rift Branch. See http://kenya.fide.com/ and I have enclosed a photo from their site.

Chairman Andolo Ambasi (right) plays a member of the Soy Branch

They have also launched their Soy Branch.  I have no idea where Soy is?? See photo again

Chess Kenya Secretary sitting explain a point to the members of Nanyuki Knights Chess Club.

They have also launched the Nanyuki Branch as well. See photo above

Chess in Kenya gets major publicity

Chess in Kenya got a major boost yesterday from Citizen TV when they broadcast a report on the Kenya Chess Team that is currently in residential training at the Kasarani Complex.

Video of that broadcast is shown below;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvV15elP_oY

The manager for the team is the current Vice Chairman Mr Francis Ngesa who is a Blitz affiando and the coach is John Mukabi a veteran of several Olympiad events.

2011 All Africa Games, Maputo, Mozambique

Our Chess Team landed safely in Nairobi!!

The Men's Team (credit to Mehul Gohil for the photos. Used without his permission!)

Githinji Hinga (left) and Martin Gateri in action

Martin Gateri,
Mehul Gohil,
Ben Magana,
Githinji Hinga,
Akello Atwoli,

and the ladies team

Purity Maina,
Gwen Jumba,
Maria Rehema,
Rose Wabuti,
Isabella Asiema.

Ben Magana in action

Team manager was Francis Ngesa and coach was John Mukabi.

We ended up 12th out of 14 teams and last in the Ladies section.

We were hoping for a bronze medal on one of the boards but that proved too elusive for our board 4 who won two games, drew three and lost two.  Was it a bad result?  Well I think we have a lot of work to do in chess if we want to succeed.

Kenya's last medal in chess was in the 1980 Chess Olympiad in Malta when Saif Kanani won a Silver medal on Board 1 and in 1988 when William Arogo Juma won a Bronze medal in the Africa Junior.

The usual rumbling has started in cyberspace as to why we did so poorly and blame being heaped on the National Federation.  There is no point going over the same points over and over again.   Kenya can be powerful in chess within 5 years but first we need to get clubs organised.  Today there are only 3 clubs that have websites, two meet regularly.  A number of banks have chess teams and so do most of the universities.  We are talking about 50 teams at most.  Are there any events to get all these teams together. Hardly. We have the National League run by Chess Kenya, we have the Interbank event and one run by Nairobi Chess Club. In a country of 30 million people this is a joke............What should we do?  I know where the solution lies. It is very simple.

Have you ever noticed that in Kenya the best team in most sports and the best athletes have one thing in common.  Yes they come from the Disciplined Forces.

In Football - we have Ulinzi Football Club (Kenya Army)
In Hockey - we have Kenya Police
Athletics - our most successful athletes have come from the Army or Police.  My hero Paul Tergat was from the Armed Forces.  Most of our gold medals at the recent World Championship in Daegu, South Korea were from the Kenya Police or Army.

I reckon that if the Kenya Army and Kenya Police took up chess we would move up the ladder very very quickly. So ladies and gentlemen - there is the solution. The question that remains is who will do it?

In the past we had two teams who took part in the National League - Moi Airbase and Laikipia Airbase, but it seems that the teams were disbanded which was really sad.

Here is the crosstable for the mens and ladies section.

All African Games 2011 Maputo Mozambique (Open Section) MOZ | Maputo | 2011.09.05 to 2011.09.14 Results after round 9
Pos	TNo.	Team	Code	MPts	GPts	Dirct	SonnB	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	1	EGYPT	EGY	18.0	30.0	0.0	181.50	ZIM	ANG	MOZ	RSA	ZAM	NGR	BOT	ALG	NAM
								3.5	2.5	3.5	2.5	3.0	3.5	3.5	4.0	4.0
2	2	SOUTH AFRICA	RSA	16.0	26.0	0.0	156.50	ETH	ZAM	ALG	EGY	ANG	MAD	NGR	MOZ	ZIM
								4.0	2.5	3.0	1.5	3.0	3.5	3.5	2.5	2.5
3	5	ANGOLA	ANG	13.0	25.0	1.0	110.50	KEN	EGY	MAD	MOZ	RSA	ZIM	ZAM	ETH	NGR
								3.5	1.5	3.5	4.0	1.0	2.5	2.0	4.0	3.0
4	4	ZAMBIA	ZAM	13.0	23.0	1.0	101.00	GHA	RSA	NGR	ZIM	EGY	ALG	ANG	KEN	BOT
								4.0	1.5	3.0	2.5	1.0	2.5	2.0	3.5	3.0
5	3	ALGERIA	ALG	10.0	20.0	0.0	62.25	NAM	NGR	RSA	BOT	ZIM	ZAM	ETH	EGY	GHA
								3.0	2.0	1.0	2.5	2.0	1.5	4.0	0.0	4.0
6	8	MOZAMBIQUE	MOZ	10.0	19.5	0.0	58.50	BOT	ETH	EGY	ANG	NGR	NAM	GHA	RSA	MAD
								2.5	3.5	0.5	0.0	1.0	4.0	4.0	1.5	2.5
7	7	ZIMBABWE	ZIM	9.0	20.5	0.0	65.00	EGY	KEN	BOT	ZAM	ALG	ANG	NAM	MAD	RSA
								0.5	3.5	3.5	1.5	2.0	1.5	3.5	3.0	1.5
8	6	NIGERIA	NGR	9.0	19.0	0.0	56.50	MAD	ALG	ZAM	KEN	MOZ	EGY	RSA	GHA	ANG
								3.0	2.0	1.0	4.0	3.0	0.5	0.5	4.0	1.0
9	9	BOTSWANA	BOT	8.0	18.0	0.0	35.00	MOZ	GHA	ZIM	ALG	KEN	ETH	EGY	NAM	ZAM
								1.5	4.0	0.5	1.5	4.0	2.5	0.5	2.5	1.0
10	14	MADAGASCAR	MAD	7.0	16.0	1.0	28.25	NGR	NAM	ANG	ETH	GHA	RSA	KEN	ZIM	MOZ
								1.0	2.5	0.5	2.0	4.0	0.5	3.0	1.0	1.5
11	10	ETHIOPIA	ETH	7.0	13.5	1.0	29.50	RSA	MOZ	GHA	MAD	NAM	BOT	ALG	ANG	KEN
								0.0	0.5	4.0	2.0	3.0	1.5	0.0	0.0	2.5
12	12	KENYA	KEN	4.0	10.5	0.0	11.00	ANG	ZIM	NAM	NGR	BOT	GHA	MAD	ZAM	ETH
								0.5	0.5	2.5	0.0	0.0	4.0	1.0	0.5	1.5
13	11	NAMIBIA	NAM	2.0	10.5	0.0	0.50	ALG	MAD	KEN	GHA	ETH	MOZ	ZIM	BOT	EGY
								1.0	1.5	1.5	3.5	1.0	0.0	0.5	1.5	0.0
14	13	GHANA	GHA	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.00	ZAM	BOT	ETH	NAM	MAD	KEN	MOZ	NGR	ALG
								0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

All African Games 2011 Maputo Mozambique (Women Section) MOZ | Maputo | 2011.09.05 to 2011.09.14 Results after round 7
Pos	TNo.	Team	Code	MPts	GPts	Dirct	SonnB	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	3	EGYPT	EGY	13.0	20.5	0.0	86.75	XXX	2.5	2.5	3.5	3.5	3.5	2.0	3.0
2	1	ALGERIA	ALG	10.0	21.5	0.0	53.00	1.5	XXX	1.5	3.0	4.0	4.0	4.0	3.5
3	2	SOUTH AFRICA	RSA	9.0	17.0	0.0	53.00	1.5	2.5	XXX	2.0	1.5	2.5	3.0	4.0
4	6	NIGERIA	NGR	8.0	16.0	0.0	40.50	0.5	1.0	2.0	XXX	3.0	2.0	3.5	4.0
5	4	BOTSWANA	BOT	8.0	13.5	0.0	40.50	0.5	0.0	2.5	1.0	XXX	3.0	3.0	3.5
6	5	ANGOLA	ANG	4.0	10.0	0.0	19.50	0.5	0.0	1.5	2.0	1.0	XXX	3.0	2.0
7	8	MOZAMBIQUE	MOZ	3.0	9.5	0.0	14.25	2.0	0.0	1.0	0.5	1.0	1.0	XXX	4.0
8	7	KENYA	KEN	1.0	4.0	0.0	5.00	1.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5	2.0	0.0	XXX

Tribute to a Chess Warrior

Mr Younis Din who was a friend of mine for the past 16 years was the last chess warrior in Kenya.   Despite his advanced age he was very keen to play any opponent without any fear.  His love of the game can be demonstrated by the fact that he played in the 2001 Kenya National Chess Championship held at the plush New Stanley Hotel.  He was the oldest participant there and that did not stop him from making all his opponents struggle to win any games.  He eventually scored ? out of 6 points.

Mr Din was a frequent visitor to my house in Nairobi West in the 1980s.  We spent many long hours battling it out on the 64 squares.  Unfortunately my study commitments prevented me from playing more games.

Our most memorable encounter was during the 1995 Kenya Chess Championship held at the Nairobi Gymkhana during the Madaraka weekend of 1^st June 1995.  The event attracted about 120 participants and I was White against a good friend and opponent.  Have you ever wrestled a polar bear?  That is how I felt when I struggled to do exactly that in 59 moves.

The last time I saw Mr Din was when he came home sometime last year and played a few games with Mr      F Rodrigues  and I.  It was a delightful afternoon to play chess with such an aficionado.

This is a tribute to my good friend.   All chess players will dearly miss you.

Rest in peace, my dear friend.

Check and Checkmate!

Chess Fanatic, Kenya Championship - Yunis Din, Nairobi Gymkhana

Kenya Championship, 03.06.1995

[Fritz 12 (30s)]

E20: Nimzo-Indian: 4 g3 and 4 f3 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 last book move 4.g3 [4.Nf3 d5 5.e3 c5±] 4...Bb4 5.Bg2 b6 [5...d5 6.Nf3²] 6.a3 [6.Nf3!?±] 6...Bxc3+² 7.bxc3 d5 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.c4 0–0 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Nf3 Nbd7 12.0–0 Bb7 13.Re1 Re8 14.e3 [14.Qa4 Ne4²] 14...h6 Controls g5 15.Rb1 [15.Bb2 Rc8²] 15...Ne4= 16.Bd2 [16.Bb2 Qf6=] 16...Rc8 17.Bb4 a5 [¹17...Rc7= and Black can hope to live] 18.Bxa5!± Deflection: b6 18...Nc3 Diagram

XABCDEFGHY
8-+rwqr+k+(
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6-zp-+-+-zp&
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[18...bxa5 19.Rxb7 Clearance Deflection Pinning] 19.Bxc3+- Rxc3 20.Rb3 Qc7 [20...Rc7 21.Rb4+-] 21.Qb1 Rc8 [21...Rxb3 22.Qxb3 Re6 23.Bh3+-] 22.Rxc3 Qxc3 23.Bh3 Rc7 24.Bxd7 Rxd7 25.Qxb6 Qxa3 26.Ne5 Re7 27.Qd8+ Kh7 28.Kg2 [¹28.Rb1 f6 29.Nd7+-] 28...Qb4?? Diagram

X

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 solves nothing [28...Rxe5 29.dxe5 d4+ 30.Kg1±] 29.Rc1 [¹29.Nd3 and White takes home the point 29...Qd2 30.Qxe7+-] 29...Rxe5± 30.dxe5 Qe4+ 31.Kh3?? makes life more difficult [¹31.f3 Qxe3 32.Rf1±] 31...d4 Diagram

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8-+-wQ-+-+(
7+l+-+pzpk'
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[¹31...Qf5+ secures the win 32.Kg2 d4+ 33.Kg1–+] 32.Qxd4 [32.exd4?? Qf5+ 33.g4 Qf3+ 34.Kh4 Qxf2+ 35.Kh5 g6#] 32...Qg2+ 33.Kh4 [33.Kg4 the only chance to get some counterplay 33...Be4 34.Qxe4+ Qxe4+ 35.f4 Qxe3 36.Rc7 Qe2+ 37.Kf5–+] 33...g5+ 34.Kg4 Kg6 Diagram 

 Y

8-+-+-+-+(
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6-+-+-+kzp&
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 Black has a mate threat [34...Qf3+ 35.Kh3 Qh5+ 36.Qh4 g4#] 35.Qd6+= Kg7?? lets it slip away [¹35...Kh7 would save the game 36.Qf6 Bf3+ 37.Qxf3 h5+ 38.Kxh5 Qxf3+ 39.Kxg5 Kg7–+] 36.Qf6++- Kf8 [36...Kg8 does not solve anything 37.e4 Qxe4+ 38.Kh5 Qh7+-] 37.Rc4 [37.Qh8+ Ke7 38.Rc7+ Ke6 39.Qf6+ Kd5 40.Qd6+ Ke4 41.Rc4#] 37...Bf3++- 38.Kf5 Be4+ [38...Qh3+ there is nothing better in the position 39.g4 Bxg4+ 40.Ke4 Be6 41.Qh8+ Ke7 42.Rc7+ Bd7 43.Qf6+ Ke8+-] 39.Rxe4 Qf3+ 40.Rf4! Decoy: f4 40...gxf4 [40...gxf4 41.Qxh6+ Decoy Discovered attack Double attack; …40...-- 41.Rxf3 Mate threat] 41.exf4 [41.Qxh6+ Kg8 42.exf4 Qg2 43.Qg5+ Kf8 44.Qd8+ Kg7+-] 41...Qd3+ [41...Qh5+ is still a small chance 42.Ke4 Qe2+ 43.Kd5 Qa2+ 44.Kc5 Qxf2+ 45.Kc6 h5 46.Qd8+ Kg7 47.Qg5+ Kf8+-] 42.Kg4 Qe2+ 43.f3 Qxh2 [43...Kg8 is the last straw 44.Qxh6 Qc4+-] 44.Qh4 [¹44.e6!? and White can already relax 44...h5+ 45.Kf5 Qc2+ 46.Kg5 Qc7+-] 44...Qe2 45.Qxh6+ Kg8 46.Qg5+ Kf8 47.Qh6+ [¹47.Qd8+ and the rest is a matter of technique 47...Kg7 48.Qf6+ Kg8 49.f5+-] 47...Ke7 [47...Kg8 48.Qc6 Kf8 49.Qc5+ Kg7+-] 48.e6! the final nail in the coffin. . . [48.e6 fxe6 49.Qg7+ Kd8 50.Qe5+-]  1–0