Archive for October 2012

Mombasa Chess Club Hosts Their Annual Mombasa Open

Mombasa Open Poster

Mombasa Chess Club moved a notch higher this month when they hosted a fantastic 2012 Mombasa Open that attracted a total of 87 players. Chess players love Mombasa as one can see from the huge turnout. The promoters of Mombasa Chess Club are Chairman Dr Philip Mwashe and Secretary Andrew Syangabo. A huge number of players travel as they get sponsored for the event. Most of the big boys were present - Ben Magana, John Mukabi, Nathan Ateka etc

The winner was Brian Kidula (who was Kenya Chess Association Secretary many years ago and who was the Kenya Captain to the Istanbul Olympiad.)

For more photos one can visit;
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.525568997462835.122830.386581538028249&type=1

I bring you the photo of the winner Brian (rumours had it that he has been training with Mehul Gohil). Rather than show you an ordinary photo of Brian receiving his trophy I thought it would be better to show you one where he is standing with the God of Chess taken at the Istanbul Chess Olympiad!

From left John Mukabi, Brian Kidula, God of Chess, Githinji Hinga

Kenyan Chess Takes Another Big Step!

We have over the years struggled to get Kenyans to take up chess with limited success.

Westland's Chess Club (WeCC) one of Kenya's newest club decided that we needed something new. If Kenyans do not come to chess then chess will be taken to the Kenyans.

WeCC President Paras Gudka used his connections to get chess to be part of the agenda for World Mental Health Day!

The event attracted a new crop of chess enthusiasts which we hope will continue to grow the numbers of players in Kenya.

Kudos to Paras on this great initiative!

WeCC President (in green shirt) ponders his move at the event.
Photo from their Facebook page.

For more photos of this event visit - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.446424505396331.97462.230219067016877&type=3

Upadate on Junior Chess In Kenya

A lot happens in Junior Chess in Kenya.

At the moment the Junior Team is getting ready to go for the World Youth event in Slovenia in November 2012. Support from the Govt is lacking, support from the National Body is not there so what option did the kids have? Well go public and ask for help!

I have no doubt that these kids are strong having gone through the qualifiers. The sad news is that they have not taken part in any other event this year. We did not see them at the 54th Nairobi Chess Club Championship, Daystar Open and many other small events which have been organised. The question is why? If you want to be tough in chess you got to play.

I am not sure how much was collected but here is the TV Clip.
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/ktn/?videoID=2000060655&video_title=Wagwiji-wachanga-wa-Chess

I will not be donating.

Kenyan Chess Reaches For The Stars

6th & 7th October 2012 will go down in Kenyan Chess History as a day when we reached for the Stars.

Daystar University held its first ever open chess event at their Athi River Campus which is about 30 minutes from Nairobi.

Karan Christie - Daystar Captain

The brain child behind this event was Karan Christie who only took up chess recently. What a great event. Slighty over 60 players took part in this grand event which attract two top Ugandan men - Harold Wanyama and Bob Bibasa and 2 top Ugandan Ladie Ivy Amoko & Christine Namaganda

All the Big Lions who were at the Olympiad were present - Ben Magana, Mehul Gohil, Githinji Hinga, Atwoli. The Big Lionesses from the Olympiad team were Sharanya Iyengar, Gwen Jumba

Ranking after round 7 of Daystar Open 2012
No. PNo. Name                       Score WP    SB     PS    rat. TPR W-We
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.   36 Harold Wanyama              7.0 27.0 27.00 28.0 2190 2733 +2.24
2.   37 Bob Bibasa                  6.0 29.5 22.50 24.0 2185 2369 +1.31
3.    1 Mehul Gohil                 5.5 29.0 24.25 19.5 2130 2403 +1.48
4.   21 John Mukabi                 5.0 31.0 20.25 20.5 2089 2196 +1.01
       12 Philip Singe                5.0 30.5 21.25 20.5 2119 2173 +0.52
       11 Ben Magana                  5.0 28.5 17.50 23.0 2185 2186 +0.03
       10 Githinji Hinga              5.0 27.5 17.00 19.0 2104 2175 +0.66
        4 Martin Oyamo                5.0 26.5 17.50 18.0 1934 2162 +2.20
       14 Sharanya Iyengar (L)        5.0 23.5 15.00 19.0 1946 2173 +2.20
       32 Brian Adorwa                5.0 23.5 14.50 19.0 1944 2177 +2.20
11.   33 Maulid Daud                 4.5 32.0 19.00 18.5 2100 2129 +0.30
        9 Jacob Onditi                4.5 30.0 16.50 21.0 2000 2155 +1.49
       43 Vincent Ng'eno              4.5 28.0 17.50 18.0 2052 2110 +0.58
       22 Purity Maina (L)            4.5 27.5 16.25 16.0 1946 2110 +1.63
       16 Geoffrey Omondi             4.5 27.0 15.75 19.5 2009 2099 +0.86
        6 Edward Oluoch               4.5 25.5 13.00 19.5 2023 2122 +1.00
17.   35 Wangombe Mugo               4.0 35.0 17.00 22.0 2059 2124 +0.64
       17 Collins Young               4.0 30.5 13.50 18.0 2038 2066 +0.29
        8 Joseph Atwoli               4.0 29.5 15.50 20.0 2081 2055 -0.20
       23 Abdinassir Buraale          4.0 28.0 14.00 16.0 2050 2047 +0.01
        2 Abdirahman Mohammed         4.0 28.0 13.50 19.0 2010 2045 +0.36
       57 Chol Bol                    4.0 27.5 12.25 16.0 1950 1950 +0.00
       38 Ivy Amoko (L)               4.0 26.0 13.50 15.0 1946 2050 +1.06
       19 Abdulkarim Roble            4.0 24.5 12.00 14.0 2050 2028 -0.20
       47 Joseph Maigua               4.0 23.5   9.00 13.0 1950 2009 +0.57
       61 Kamau Kingora               4.0 22.0 12.75 14.0 1900 2095 +1.60
       40 Kevin Riungu                4.0 22.0 10.50 12.0 1976 1970 -0.06
       39 Christine Namaganda (L)     4.0 21.5   8.25 10.0 1946 1934 -0.12
29.   51 Wachania Wachira            3.5 31.5 14.00 18.5 2025 2050 +0.21
        3 Brian Kidula                3.5 30.0 13.75 17.5 2006 1977 -0.28
       50 Chahindi Mbiu               3.5 24.0   9.75 14.5 1934 1979 +0.42
        5 Isse Kasim                  3.5 24.0   9.25 15.0 2010 1964 -0.42
       13 George Wanjiku              3.5 23.5   8.50 15.5 1950 1912 -0.32
       56 Felix Begisen               3.5 21.0   6.00 10.5 1950 1991 +0.42
35.   41 David Yak                   3.0 27.5 10.00 15.0 1950 1936 -0.15
       59 Karan Christie              3.0 26.5   9.00 12.0 1991 1879 -1.13
       15 Subham Rai (J)              3.0 25.0   7.50 10.5 2012 1916 -0.92
       31 Gloria Gweyani (L)          3.0 24.5   7.75 12.0 1946 1935 -0.15
       26 Ian Odhiambo                3.0 24.0   6.00 13.0 2002 1915 -0.85
       52 Job Kaimenyi                3.0 23.5   7.50 15.0 1950 1912 -0.36
       45 Rose Wabuti (L)             3.0 21.5   8.00 10.0 1940 1914 -0.29
       53 Wambui Wahome (L)           3.0 21.5   5.50 11.0 1920 1917 -0.01
       62 Nichodemus Ndonye           3.0 19.0   7.75 11.0 1900 1966 +0.54
        7 Maureen Njeri (L)           3.0 19.0   3.50 10.0 1818 1719 -0.55
       55 Rahab Wangui (L)            3.0 18.5   4.75   9.0 1818 1831 +0.14
46.   20 Baba Jamari                 2.5 25.5   6.75 11.5 1950 1824 -1.21
       34 Joseph Maina                2.5 23.5   6.50 10.5 2001 1834 -1.63
       44 Kamadi Akidiva              2.5 23.0   5.75 11.5 1950 1844 -1.07
       48 Saloni Karania (L)          2.5 20.0   4.75   8.5 1842 1876 +0.26
       63 Patrick Mbogo               2.5 19.0   7.00 10.5 1900 1922 +0.16
       60 Kim Bhari                   2.5 17.5   5.50   9.0 1930 1944 +0.10
52.   49 Darshan Shah (J)            2.0 22.5   3.50   7.0 1950 1741 -1.99
       42 Mary Kamau (L)              2.0 22.0   2.75   6.0 1818 1698 -0.80
       54 Linda Wairegi (L)           2.0 19.5   1.00   9.0 1818 1301 -1.45
       30 Ranft Mwangi                2.0 18.0   2.75   5.0 1950 1602 -2.60
       46 Ann Kung'u (L)              2.0 16.0   2.50   7.0 1818 1799 -0.17
       29 Nilesh Bhudia               2.0 12.5   2.00   6.0 1950 1739 -1.99
58.   24 Andrew Syangabo             1.5 27.0   3.50   8.5 2004 1742 -2.28
59.   25 Njuru Mwangi                1.0 22.0   7.50   6.0 1950 1856 -0.38
       28 Brian Kimeto                1.0 18.5   0.25   3.0 1950 1253 -3.18
61.   27 Brian Obilo                 0.0 24.5 12.25   0.0 2150 -   +0.00
       18 Ricky Sang                  0.0 24.5 12.25   0.0 2002 -   +0.00
       58 Yamikani Kaipa              0.0 19.0   2.25   0.0 1950 1345 -1.60
For more photos on this great event visit the following site

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.292604114174198&type=1
Kudos to Daystar University for hosting such a grand event.

Chess meets up with Cricket and Live Music!

23rd September 2012 will probably go down in Kenyan Chess History as the day when Chess met Cricket!

We are talking about the 2012 SAMOSA (South Asian Mosaic of Soceity & the Arts) Festival which is being held at Karurua Forest (www.friendsofkarura.org). The organiser of this event are SOMOSA who are headed by Zarina Patel and Rajan Zahid who are also the publishers of AwaaZ Magazine (www.awaazmagazine.com).

The poster had a new design and the photo we used was enhanced using an Apple iPad thanks to my daughter.

Zarina is well known in Kenya for her fight with some greedy, grubby Nairobi City Council officials who wanted to convert Jevanjee Gardens into some kind of shopping complex. She is the granddaughter of the famous Mr Jevanjee who bequeath the Garden to the residents of Nairobi. She is also the author of the book about her grandfather - Challenge to colonialism the struggle of Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee for equal rights in Kenya

You can buy her book on

http://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Colonialism-Struggle-Alibhai-Jeevanjee/dp/996696150X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349932121&sr=8-1&keywords=zarina+patel

The event attracted a total of only 10 players and we had Kenya's top players in action. Peter Gilruth and Mehul Gohil. I have enclosed the standings;

1|Mowlid Daud Ahmed, ||2100||4.5|7.0|12.0|14.5
2|Peter Gilruth, ||2220||4|9.0|13.5|11.0
3-4|Abid Karim Roble, ||2000||3.5|9.5|15.0|9.5
|Mehul Gohil, ||2205||3.5|7.5|12.5|10.0
5|Abdi Nasser Burale, ||2000||3|6.5|10.0|10.0
6|Abdi Raham Mohamed, ||2100||2.5|8.0|12.5|8.0
7|Amon Sein, ||2000||2|7.5|12.5|5.0
8-9|Kim Bhari, ||2000||1|9.0|13.5|4.0
|Mushig Habilov, ||2000||1|7.5|12.0|3.0
10|Charles Mwangi, ||2000||0|6.5|11.5|0.0