Gary Kasparov Hands Chess Kenya Complex Chess Position

We all remembered our Gary Kasparov visit Nairobi sometime last year and whose visit was covered by this blog.


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The story does not just end there.   You will all recall that Gary tried very hard to unseat incumbent FIDE BigWig Kirsan  Ilyumzhinov during the just concluded 2014 Olympiad.  Gary was on the roll in Africa and Kenya decided to wholeheartedly support Gary's bid.

Of course we extracted something from Kasparov Chess Foundation.  We got a trip for George Githui to fly to China to attend a FIDE arbiter training course, Chairman Githinji was on the same trip.  George then flew again to Tromso to be part of his campaign team.

We got a 5,000 chess set donation from KCF.  Well that is the complex position that Chess Kenya is now facing.  The sets are stuck at the Kenya port of Mombasa awaiting clearance.  The duty/VAT payable is now close to KShs 1,000,000 or USD 12,000 and rising every day due to port charges.

Chess Kenya is hoping for the Ministry of Finance or Kenya Revenue Authority to waive the duties/VAT.  Well one can hope for this but it is not going to happen in this time and age.  Chess Kenya does not have the funds to clear the bill and hence the sets continue to sit in Mombasa.

Chess Kenya Chairman Githinji Hinga was informed by government officials that there would be no problem with duty/VAT and hence their decision to go ahead with the plan.

What will happen now?  My suspicion is that the goods will get auctioned after some time and that will be the end of it.

I guess I will eventually owe a set from KCF in the near future!!

Olympian Larry Kagambi Grabs 56th Nairobi Chess Club Championship With Fine Display Of Fighting Chess

23rd & 24th August 2014 saw Nairobi Chess Club host the 56th edition of its premier event at the famous Braebun School, Gitanga Road, Nairobi.

Former Olympian Larry Kagambi beat a strong field of 78 players to win the 56^th Nairobi Chess Club Championship with a perfect score of 5 wins out of 5 games.  The strong field included Mathias Ssonko of Uganda who represented his country at the just concluded 2014 Olympiad in Tromso, Norway.

Larry Kagambi was the 1990 Kenya Champion and has represented Kenya at the 1988 and 1992 Chess Olympiads.  He was Chess Kenya Secretary General for a number of years as well. 

Larry Kagambi (right) in action

Other strong contenders included Peter Gilruth, and 4 players from the Kenya Olympiad Team, J Akello, G. Hinga, B.  Magana and J. Kamau, Riya Shah & Isabella Asiema.  Harold Wanyama a player from the Uganda National Team was also present.

Larry went home with a cash prize of KShs 20,000 plus Nakumatt Vouchers of KShs 6,000.  In second to fifth place was Mathias Ssonko, Mowlid Ahmed, Brian Kidula & Vincent Ngeno who each won KShs 10,350 plus individual trophies.

Aerial view of the playing hall

In ladies category Riya Shah was the winner with 3 points followed by Isabella Asiema,  Reanna Varsani & Subhika Grande who each won KShs 1,500. Top 3 went home with individual trophies.

In the Junior category the winner was Subham Rai with 3.5 points followed by Dev Shah, Srinjay Mukophadyay & Ritvik Pendyala.  Top 3 went home with trophies.

Brian Adorwa in action

In the Challenger Category the winner was Matiko Chacha (KShs 2,000), followed by Jackson Okoth Ochieng (KShs 1,000) and then Kevin Owen (KShs 500).  They each went home with a trophy.

The total prize fund of this event was just over KShs 70,000 making it one of Kenya’s largest events in 2014.  The sponsor for this event were former Olympians Rodgers Adai with KShs 50,000, Aslam Adam with KShs 15,000 and Humphrey Andolo with KShs 5,000.  Gift vouchers were donated by Mr Vasanth.