KENYAN CHESS BLOG by Edwin korir

Random Thoughts

2009-06-04T17:27:00.000+03:00

1. In the recently concluded Kenya Open it was more like Nairobi open. Where are all those other players from ouside Nairobi??
2. Saif Kanini is the only player ever to win an Olympiad medal(silver) for kenya in 1980.
3. Where is Mathew Kanegeni?
Blessed june to you all

African chess

2009-06-03T17:14:00.001+03:00

Check out this upcoming website by Robert Gwaze http://www.chessafrica.com/

Kenya Open 2009

2009-06-02T13:59:00.000+03:00

After much haggling and uncertainity the kenya open was held over Madaraka day weekend.

Dolf Beltz won the event with 6.5/7, the new comer in the kenyan chess scene trounced veteran kenyan chess players.

Gilruth, Wangombe and john mukabi on 5.5 points. Ugandan was reresented by mulambe. Mehul withdrew after round 6 when a dispute with mulambe over the touch and move rule.

Chess kenya must be commended for organizing the event although they should not ambush people with unplanned events.

25 players were selected for next phase of olympiad qualifiers.

Nairobi Chess League

2009-05-15T10:32:00.000+03:00

Nairobi Chess League Rules(last modified 18th April 2009)

1 The Nairobi Chess League will be a team event with eight players per team. Matches will be played on four boards only. Matches will take place between January and May on a Saturday afternoon at a venue as notified to team captains. There will be two divisions, restricted to 11 teams per division. The event is open to all clubs.
2. Once a player has competed for a team in the League, that player cannot compete for another team in the same Division in the same season.
3. Board prizes will be awarded for the top players for boards 1 to 6 only. The minimum games played must be over 65% to qualify for board prizes. If 9 rounds are played then a minimum of 6 games must be played, if 10 rounds are played then 7 games
4. Prize for board 1 to 4 for ladies will be awarded based on the ratios mentioned in point 3 above. Prize for board 1 to 4 for junior player under the age of 18 will be awarded based on ratios mentioned in point 3 above.
5. A schedule will be sent to all competing teams on the Monday before the Saturday matches. The rate of play will be 45 minutes for all moves.
6.. Although the event is termed Nairobi Chess League, Rapidplay rules will apply. Except as modified by these rules, the normal FIDE Laws of chess will apply.
7. Scoring will be fully on game points. A won game will score one point, a drawn game half a point and a lost game zero points. Therefore, there are four points per team at stake on each afternoon of play. However if a team defaults for an afternoon their opponents will be awarded a 3 - 0 victory. This is to try and prevent default results having a distorting effect on the league placings. Any team defaulting on two or more afternoon matches may be expelled from the league and all their results annulled if they have played less than 50% of the games.
8. Any disputes will be settled by the organisers (or their representatives) whose decision is final. Teams are expected to compete in a spirit of fair play and cooperation. It is also hoped that the event will provide a more social opportunity than normally available through the Nairobi Chess League and that all involved will participate in making it an enjoyable event.

Sex Boycott

2009-05-01T10:27:00.002+03:00

Kenyan women have decided to boycott sex for one week to push for reforms in the country! more

Chess Social Responsibility(CSR)

2009-04-27T20:00:00.007+03:00

Recently the local chess community organized themselves to give back to society. The event dubbed the chess social responsibility or CSR. Purity Gachiga, Githinji Hinga and a few other chessers visited Kibera's LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL and made the children very happy. Here are a few photos of the event.

The deaf/dumb kids with their teacher(in red)

Gitinji giving the students their first chess lessons

Eldoret Chess Pictures

2009-04-27T19:45:00.005+03:00

Geoffrey 'Eku' Dokoria emailed me this pictures of Eldoret open some time back but i have failed to post them. Enjoy

Ben Nguku relaxes when not playing and probably no blitzers were around.

George Mwangi in his usual concentrative style slugs out aganaist Magana

One of the many players who turned up to play

Chess Kenya Cancels National Championsips

2009-04-27T19:32:00.001+03:00

By Mehul Gohil

CK have again for the millionth time not kept their word...they have postponed the national champs to December, and who knows if it will happen even then. Last year we had no national championships.

Plus, having rescheduled the first phase olympiad qualifier to the june Kenya Open event they have left those in the working class in an imbroglio...it's good to inform your HR department as to what your leave dates are. But CK's indecisiveness and disorganised timetable is of no help here. I will go for the June 1 event as I have applied for leave then but will most likely have no way to attend the 2nd part of the qualifiers. Plus, this much touted African Team Championships is in September...shouldn't the national team have been in place by now so that training can begin in earnest?? This dilly dalying will only make us weaker when the African champs arrives. Or maybe KCB team has already been designated as the national team..who knows?

I remember last week at checkmates I had a discussion with Peter Munyasi on the pros and cons of organising a parallel event over the may 1 holidays. I told him we should let CK have the benefit of the doubt and not 'sabotage' their May 1 event with a more lucrative parallel one. He expressed the opinion that CK may not even have an event. His hunch has turned out to be correct. Now all we get is a one day rapid thing. To me it's becoming apparent that when these public holidays come around we should not waste our time waiting for CK to organise something, they come up with BS time and again...we should take the matter into our own hands and organise our own stuff.

Like this December dates, I am prepared to get a tournament organised right on the same dates as this alleged Kenya champs. We can get the sponsors ourselves and have a lucrative enough prize fund. We should not waste time with CK. Next time I will listen to Peter Munyasi.

From chess Kenya to all players

> Rapid Individual/Team Chess Championship 2009
>
> Dates: 1st May
>
> Venue: West Breeze Hotel,Upperhill,Nairobi
>
> Registration fees: Kshs 500( free lunch for all players)
>
> Prize giving ceremony for the 2008/9 National Chess League will be
> held the same day at the same venue at 6pm.
>
> Entry form to follow shortly
>
> World Youth Under 16 Chess Olympiad Qualifiers/Junior
> Open
>
> Dates: April 25 & 26
>
> Venue: Oshwal Academy Nairobi Primary
>
> World Youth Chess Championship 2009 Final Qualifiers
>
> Dates: May 16 & 17
>
> CK Youth Committee to release info soon
>
> Kenya Open Chess Championship 2009
>
> Event will be used as the 1st phase Olympiad qualifier
>
> Dates: May 30,31 & June 1
>
> More information to follow soon
>
>
> Due to unavoidable circumstances,the National Chess Championships
> which were scheduled for the long Labour Day holiday have been moved
> to December.The revised calendar of events will be out before Monday
>
> Regards,
>
> CHESS KENYA SECRETARIAT

Rare Chess Stamp

2009-04-27T19:25:00.002+03:00

Chess Leo says he has this stamp from the British virgin islands. Anyone out there with similar stamps depicting chess.

Nairobi Chess League

2009-04-27T19:19:00.001+03:00

The Kim Bhari organized Nairobi Chess League has got underway with a great start. Here is the update.

By Kim Bhari

Still no draw. I guess I made a mistake to start with the Berger tables for only 7-8 players.

On Saturday 18 April 09 I had 8 teams and thought that was it and used 7-8 Berger tables to make a draw. Big mistake. I should have used the one for 9-10 players becasue on afternoon of 18 April I got team number 9 and then today afternoon I got team number 10!!!

You will notice the pattersn for the two tables are quite different. painful. At times the colours change for the team between tables. See team 5 and 8. the colour swaps round in the next table. My problem is that team 5 and 8 have already played. Do i make them play again??

Next complication is that we can only accomdate 8 teams per afternoon which means only 4 matches instead of 5 due to space and tables. So i have to prepare pairing cards and do the pairing for next two rounds considering the constraints. I have also asked two teams to rest tomorrow which is a third variable which means trying to go back to the berger tables is tough.

Lesson learnt

Always use a higher pairing table for league events. George Mwangi take note. I will retire soon.

7 & 8 Players

Round
1	1:8	2:7	3:6	4:5
2	8:5	6:4	7:3	1:2
3	2:8	3:1	4:7	5:6
4	8:6	7:5	1:4	2:3
5	3:8	4:2	5:1	6:7
6	8:7	1:6	2:5	3:4
7	4:8	5:3	6:2	7:1

9 & 10 Players

Round
1	1:10	2:9	3:8	4:7	5:6
2	10:6	7:5	8:4	9:3	1:2
3	2:10	3:1	4:9	5:8	6:7
4	10:7	8:6	9:5	1:4	2:3
5	3:10	4:2	5:1	6:9	7:8
6	10:8	9:7	1:6	2:5	3:4
7	4:10	5:3	6:2	7:1	8:9
8	10:9	1:8	2:7	3:6	4:5
9	5:10	6:4	7:3	8:2	9:1

Wanyama Wins East African Chess Championships

2009-04-15T11:46:00.003+03:00

By James Ssekandi

Results
Harold Wanyama 6.5pts
Patrick Kawuma 6.5pts Bob Bibasa 6 pts
Isaac Munanira 6 pts
Rajab Kamoga 6 pts

Harold Wanyama edged Bob Bibasa in the final game of the last round to win the 4th edition of the East Africa Chess Championship on Monday evening at Lugogo indoor stadium.

Wanyama tied on points with tournament surprise package and junior champion Patrick Kawuma at 6.5 out of the 8 rounds but edged the latter on a Bucholz tie break.

On his way to victory, Wanyama downed Stephen Bwire, I Bob Bibasa

van Meri, Fred Okiring, Atwooli Akello, Rajab Kamoga and Bob Bibasa. He drew with Kenya‘s Nathan Ateka and lost only once to Patrick Kawuma in a second round game that was billed as the biggest upset of the tournament.

Second-placed Kawuma beat Mohamed Omwony, Wanyama, Kenneth Ouma, Walter Okas, Simon Gonza and drew with Kenya‘s Ben Magana. He only lost to Isaac Munanira.

In the ladies category, Kenya’s Janet Rosana emerged winner in a 12 round robin competition. The Kenyan won 9 games and lost two.

University Of Nairobi Chess Championships

2009-04-13T16:13:00.002+03:00

George Mwangi organized a very successful tournament at the university of Nairobi. Here are the results.

By George Mwangi

Once again,I would like to thank all those who took time apart to participate.Below is a summary of the winners.The REUTERS guys came as expected.They were covering Kabete CARES chess club's participation in the event.It was part of a bigger story that will take some time to be released.

I will foward some photos from the event later.

Open Category:

1.Muchai James 6.0 U.o.N

2.Obadiah Okeyo 6.0 U.o.N

3.Duncan Gichana 6.0 KCA University

Ladies Category:

1.Rehema Maria 4.0 K.U.

2.Nancy Mogire 3.0 U.o.N

Sarah Wanga 3.0 U.o.N

There were 43 participants in total with a record 7 ladies taking part,among them a 14year old Kabete CARES member,Stella.

We look foward to working the entire chess community to take chess to higher levels.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T16:01:00.001+03:00

I wish to take this moment to wish all my readers, friends, family and chess enthusiasts a blessed Easter.

The Jedis Rant

2009-04-04T10:57:00.002+03:00

(No other chess player has more rants and raves than Mehul Gohil, here is one of his classics posted recently in a Kenyan chess forum.)

By Mehul Gohil
It is soon becoming apparent that tournaments will one day become the privy of sponsored institutional outfits....look like you will have to be a member of KCB, NBK or some other institutional ta, if you are to afford playing in Kenyan tournaments. CK has repeatedly failed to look at creative ways to solve this ever occurring impasse. They need to find some creative way to get guys to become members. CK is pretty daft if it cannot realize that chess players are not golf players. Chess players hang around in joints like downtown pub not Muthaiga golf and country club.

I don't see why anyone would cough up 1800/= for a smallish rift valley open. I now think the 'RODRIGUEZ' idea of holding the weekly rapid mug tournaments should be implemented by CK...at least on a bi-weekly basis. Half the entry fee for these tornas can go towards paying up an individuals CK membership...I can assure CK if they did this within 2 months they would have 30-40 extra members all FULLY PAID UP via their entry fees. Rodriguez may have been swamp thing in off the board matters but clearly he knew how to bring in the kudos via tournaments, I think even johnny will agree with that one.

Furthermore, are CK even INTERESTED in guys becoming members????

I sent CK an email last week asking if I can check in my CK membership via MPESA to one of the official's phones and they can't even bother to reply. Do they want me as a member or not? What the hell is wrong with these guys? Can that fred guy come here and explain why CK is not interested in me paying up my 2400/= membership fees when I want to. Looks like CK has some pretty rotten organization skills. They should be bending over backwards to collect my membership. Looks like all this talk by Ambasi that guys should become members is turning out to be BS. I can't believe it...there you are ready to fork out money for membership and CK is not interested in taking it!!

Ouma Wins Nakuru Open

2009-04-04T10:44:00.000+03:00

Steve Ouma finally answered his critics with a dazzling display of almost flawless chess to be crowned the Nakuru Open champ in the two day event played over the weekend at the Midland hotel,Nakuru.

Steve was paired against Wang'ombe Mugo in round five and drew against his rather stubborn opponent after having an upper hand most of the time in the game.In the final round he overcame reigning Mombasa Opem champion,Akello Atwoli to claim his first major title in his chess career spanning over 12 years.

He gannered 5.5 points but was placed ahead of Wangombe Mugo on Bulcholtz as National Bank of Kenya dominated the event taking the top two positions.

The event was sponsored by Rift Valley Machinery Services Ltd,this being the eleventh time in twelve years.The tournament attracted 30 players.

Winner's in the various categories were:

Open:

1st: Steve Ouma: 5.5 pts: NBK
2nd: Wang'ombe Mugo: 5.5 pts:NBK
3rd: Moses Andiwo: 5.0 pts: Nakuru Chess Club

Ladies:

1st: Janet Rosana: 3.0 pts
2nd: Elizabeth Thiaka: 2.5 pts
3rd: Rose Wabuti: 2.0 pts

Under 23 years:

Jackson Kamau: 4.0 pts
Alfansus Mwaura: 1.5 pts

Simul Record

2009-03-21T09:22:00.002+03:00

On Feb. 21, Kiril Georgiev of Bulgaria played 360 people simultaneously in Sofia, Bulgaria, breaking the world record for such a feat. His final score was 284 wins, 70 draws and 6 losses. The previous record holder, Andrew Martin, an English international master, had played 321 opponents at Wellington College in Berkshire, England, on Feb. 21, 2004. Susan Polgar of the United States played 326 people simultaneously at a mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in August 2005, but the Guinness Book of World Records did not recognize her record as official. Read more from the New York Times

Nairobi Chess League

2009-03-21T08:06:00.002+03:00

Kim Bahri is planning to start the first ever Nairobi chess league. Although this will not interfere with the national league, chess kenya is not enthusiastic about it. Chess Kenya chairman Andolo Ambasi has not replied any correspondence from bahri. But most chess players are enthusiastic about it and are welcoming it with a double check.

Vaishnavi Visits Vietnam

2009-03-19T11:06:00.000+03:00

By Vaishnavi Ram Mohan

'Do you play football?' 'No.' 'Rugby? Basketball? Athletics?' No. I play chess.' ''Chess?'' followed by an incredulous look, a polite smile or the disinterested thought 'chess? How boring!!' At first look, chess seems simple enough. The objective: use any of your 16 pieces strategically to capture or checkmate your opponent's king. It would be by way of a revelation to many to know that there are as many ways of doing this as there are stars in the sky! (And I mean this literally; it has been proven that there are over a billion possible ways to checkmate an opponent) It would amaze many to learn that chess is a sport like any other and has its own rules, intricacies, tournaments, rankings and heroes. The best of these players under 18 are showcased at the prestigious World Youth Chess Championships. There are several international tournaments for juniors held each year but the climax is always the World Youth Chess Championships (or WYCC, or World Youth, as we know it in chess lingo) and it is the dream of every junior chess player to represent his/her country at this event and stage his/her bid to bring their country honours. It is an even bigger honour to host this event and each year a different country gets to bear this mantle.

Thus, on 18th November, I was in Vung Tau, Vietnam, a proud representative of Kenya and participant in the U-14Girls category at the World Youth Chess Championships 2008, held from 19th-31st October. This year, Kenya had one of its largest delegations, with 13 players. We were represented in all the categories, which are the Under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 age groups with divisions for boys and girls respectively. It is indeed very ironic that upon return from such an event, everyone immediately demands, ''So how did it go? Did you win?'' The common perception is that playing chess is an easy way to travel abroad to play for the country and by far the easiest way to win fame as an international champion. Trust me, it is as hard to win a gold medal (or for that matter even a top fifty position) in the field of chess as it is to win in any other sport. The World Youth attracts the very best, the cream from each country. Each nation sends only its best champions, so even being there is a privilege in itself. This means that the standards are of the highest order, and painful though it is, it must be admitted that we are very far off from the medal podiums.

This year, there were over 2000 players from 73 nations. The games were spaced over 10 days and there were 11 rounds, played on the Swiss System. The playing venue was the National Sports Stadium, Vung Tau. What exactly is the common conception of a tournament hall? A small room with a few tables piled together. Picture this. A huge conference hall, with long rows of tables lined by chessboards, the walls flanked with the flags of the participating nations. Next to each board are the 'chess clocks', each player's nameplate, recording scoresheet and belongings. There are many arbiters to ensure smooth running of the rounds and games. Anxious parents and coaches fill the stands on either side of the hall, awaiting their child/charge's result. To an outsider, it is just two children sitting on opposite ends of a board. To the participants, the board number is greatly significant and shows the quality. To play on board 1, (i.e. top board) is tantamount to being declared one of the best and a matter of great pride, while playing on the lower and bottom boards is considered an indication of the poor quality of your game. A good quality game of chess does not end before three hours and actually, it is quite the norm for a game beginning at 3.00pm to end at 7.30pm. That means about four and a half hours before a board! Indeed, only someone who has been to such an event can fully grasp its enormity. All factors considered, our performance was quite respectable, with each player chipping in.

At such events, chess is like a religion. A barrier lies between us in the form of language, as most of the others do not speak much English, but we are all still bonded together. Indeed, whether you come from a country as distant as Latvia, Peru, and Iceland, if you speak the language of chess, that suffices. Nothing matters apart form your game. For example, a puny boy, wearing old jeans, suspenders and a worn, unfashionable shirt, speaking broken English may be given priority. All the parents point at him as he passes. Players hush up and whispers float, ''don't you know him, that's the GM (Grand Master; the highest achievement level in chess.) He's on top board.'' The coach will strut proudly, for that nondescript boy happens to be his charge and one of the top players. All that matters is your game and that is why countries like India (India had a sweep of the medals and won the best overall team award) and Serbia or Croatia walk with their heads held high. One night, a 'Social and Talent Night' was held, where each country had a chance to present something authentic. This was a nice chance to socialise and get to know each other better, as well as learn about different cultures. It was a great experience to meet and make new friends from all corners of the world.

Now about the host. Vietnam is the first Asian country to host the World Youth since Singapore twenty years ago. This probably explains why the hosts went out of their way to keep us (indeed all 3000+ of us) satisfied and why we were treated like royalty. It all began with a spectacular opening ceremony. We walked down the red carpet and were then treated to a series of authentic folk-dances that had everyone applauding, followed by a fashion show, which included many international models and beauties. This was capped off by a splendid and spectacular firework display that had every single one present on their feet. Several comfortable hotels had been booked just for the event. Our hotel, the KhuDuLich Bien Dong, was right by the beach, (which suited me perfectly) and while not the Burj Al Arab, it was good enough. Vung Tau is a sleepy beach resort town and is not quite one of Vietnam's major cities. Thus the arrival of over 3000 foreigners caused quite a stir and the sleepy town was soon wide awake. Banners and posters for the event were everywhere, and the tournament logo of a giant knight flanked the streets.

As a place, Vung Tau is quite pleasant. There are several large shopping malls (some can even beat our own Westgate), so it isn't like one is completely cut off from civilisation. Vung Tau is about 150km from Ho Chi Minh City, the capital ad can be reached either by road or the hydrofoil speedboat. I recommend the speedboat, as it is an unusual way of travel, and it's fun to see the boat slice through the Bien Dong. There are many hotels, so tourists can take their pick. Motorbikes are the most common form of transport and everybody owns one. There are plenty of souvenir and curio shops, and we found the prices very reasonable. This is because one Kenyan Shilling is equal to about 220Vietnamese Dong, so I felt no guilt at spending hundreds of thousands, indeed I was a millionaire!!! The people are very friendly and Vietnamese hospitality is worth experiencing. However, be warned, almost no one speaks any English!! We had to resort to extreme forms of sign language to communicate. Language does tend to be a major problem and if you ask me, it would just be easier (and quicker) to learn Vietnamese than try to communicate to them. We had many hilarious and vexing incidents ourselves so this is from experience. Food does tend to be a bit of a problem, more so if you are vegetarian. Seafood is very popular. (No surprises there) A tip to future tourists, please exercise caution when trying out regional specialities, as they may not agree with everyone. Do watch out when shopping, as with the language barrier and miscommunication, you may find yourself on the wrong end of a bargain.

Apart from the chess, we did a bit of exploring and sightseeing. There are many places worth visiting in Vung Tau. First of course, is the beach. There are many sea-activities like kite surfing, surfing and boating for water lovers. The beach is lovely although it is filled with many sea-creatures like crabs, shells and prawns crawling around. The Jesus statue is a major tourist attraction. It lies along the Nho Mountain and is so big it can be seen from all over the city. Near the statue, also on the Nho mountain is the Artillery Station, which has a collection of weaponry that is worth seeing. There are also the Binh Chau hot springs, which are like our own Bogoria. You should also not miss the Buddha Pagoda and Nirvana Temple. These are essential to get a glimpse of the local religion and culture. The weather in Vung Tau is like Mombasa, except stronger. Temperature can be from 32-40 degrees with very high humidity. Shorts are the best attire, but beware of sunburn, dehydration and heatstroke.

A lovely closing ceremony, where the winners were felicitated as the rest of us watched the fantastic performances and said our goodbyes capped off the trip. Personally, this trip opened new dimensions to me and I realised that success can come in many forms, because although I did not win anything in terms of medals, I was chose as one of the faces of the event (To tell you the truth, I am still wondering on what grounds I was chosen!!) It also felt very nice that despite my mediocre chess-playing skills, I left the tournament so popular, with many international players and coaches as my friends. (It was almost like I was an ambassador for the sport in Kenya!) I am not a newcomer to the world of chess and travel; in fact I have done this several times. Yet the excitement and experiences are different each time and it is with the same eagerness that I will always await my next trip.

Fourteen-year-old Vaishnavi Ram Mohan has made a mark for herself as an aspiring writer whose stories, articles and travelogues have been published for over five years now in newspapers both in Kenya and in India. Her recently published book "Tales From Africa" has been widely acclaimed and is seen on the shelves of book stores world over. She has had a feature done on her writing skills and creative abilities by the Young Nation. Recently, the Oshwal Community Centre invited her to share her writing experiences with young enthusiasts as part of a story-reading session of her book.

Vaishnavi is a well-known face in the local junior chess circuit. She has won many prizes at the national level and is the five-time junior defending national champion in her category. She has also had the rare honour of being selected to represent Kenya in international chess events in Greece, France, Serbia, Georgia, Turkey and Vietnam. She is amongst the top junior players in the country.

Vaishnavi's talents have been recognised by the well-known Al Jazeera Television network. She was one of just four teenagers selected from entire Africa and the only one from east Africa to be featured in documentary-style footage of her life and achievements. This show was aired globally.

Vaishnavi is currently a Grade 11 student at Nairobi Jaffery Academy. She has won several prizes for her excellence in academics and extra-curricular activities. She was one of the first students to receive a full school merit scholarship in her school.

Writing and chess aside, Vaishnavi loves travelling and spends much of her leisure time reading books.

The State Of Kenyan Chess

2009-03-17T11:13:00.007+03:00

Part one:

From first to the last the story of Kenyan chess is a tale of hopes deferred, of disappointment, of estimates unfulfilled, of talent unrealized, of coping with unpredicted and often unpredictable difficulties. It is a tale of a group of Kenyan men and women who will do it all for the passion of the game they so much love. It is also a tale of uncooperative officials who will use every chance to put hurdles in the way forward for the game. It is a complex interaction of factors financial, egoistic, passion and many more that make us still believe in Kenyan chess.

History
For us to realize the future we must go back to the past. The history of Kenyan chess is history! But in comparison to the present the past may have been brighter. I remember when I started learning chess both major dailies in Kenya, Nation and Standard had weekly chess columns there was also a magazine called Executive that carried a monthly chess column. Chess clubs were vibrant mostly in Nairobi but had its fair share in other towns as well.

The number G+90 tournaments were exceedingly high and the caliber of play ( I stand to be corrected on this) was above par. The number of juniors coming through the ranks was impressive. Chess could at the time attract huge sponsorship and players from as far as South Africa used to participate in the Kenyan open. The game had its fair share of politics probably it was more fired than today’s but events on the board overshadowed those off it.

Present
Looking at the state of Kenyan chess today one has to wonder where the rain started beating us. For a start let us begin our postmortem by dissecting chess Kenya. When I looked at the membership of chess Kenya I was horrified, with less than 100 paid up members and over 90% being kids something is really amiss with chess Kenya recruitment procedures. Optimists may argue that this is good for development of young players but obviously this argument does not hold water.

Aside from membership chess Kenya does not seem interested in holding chess tournaments frequently; the last long tournament was months ago and such great traditional tournaments like the Kenya open may soon face the axe. To complicate things even more chess Kenya does not know the dates of the two ‘grand slams’ of Kenyan chess, the Kenya open and the national championships. The Kenya open was usually held during the May Day weekend but we have outsourced this to Uganda.

The return of the national league last year was a welcome relief to many. After years of being MIA the chess league resumed with a lot of players showing enthusiasm. The usual big sponsored teams walked away with the trophy but the entry of other teams including Maseno University was a welcome development. Kenya commercial bank team won the event.
On promising side chess Kenya continued with its process of featuring teams in international events. For more than ten consecutive years Kenya has always featured a team to the chess Olympiad. The Kenyan youth have also become ambassadors of great repute and participated in many international events.

But the real problem with chess in Kenya has it has been for many years is politics. Siasa mbaya maisha mbaya as the former president aptly put it does not only apply to the general Kenya but specific areas in Kenyan society like chess. The leadership wrangles of today are child play compared to the antics of yesteryears but still play a big role in digressing the game of chess.

Apart from chess Kenya the other part that influences chess are the players themselves. To start us off majority of Kenyan chess players myself included are not paid up members of chess Kenya. The argument has been why should players pay up when the chess organization cannot do anything in return?

The other worrying factor is the number of young players advancing to the senior level. If we still call the likes of Atwoli and Obutu upcoming we need to rethink our chess seriously. The other major setback for Kenyan chess is that Kenya is probably the only country in the world that does not have a major chess column in its national dailies.The standard used to have a column until two years ago when it was ceased to be published.

But through everything, through thick and thin, through financial crisis and chess highs we must struggle to maintain the standards of chess in Kenya. In the second part of this eassy I will continue with the state of Kenyan chess and give recommendations on what may be done.

Chess Gaffes

2009-03-17T09:19:00.000+03:00

Chess books can be notoriously carefree, and the gaffes of publishers and/or authors may be visible even before the tome is opened. Only the stout-hearted should look at the examples given by the Editor of Chess Notes, such as a publisher unable to spell its own name and specimens of faulty titles, wrong names and incorrect cover illustrations. It all makes for irresistibly grisly reading. Chess Base has more

Chess Kenya Calendar Of Events

2009-03-16T15:59:00.021+03:00

Chess kenya has released this years calendar of events. The crown jewel of the calendar is the African team championship slated for November at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani. Here now is the full list.

JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
7TH FEBRUARY
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

KENYA NATIONAL CHESS LEAGUE 2009 FINAL FIXTURES
21ST & 22ND FEBRUARY
CK LEAGUE COMMITTEE

NATIONAL YOUTH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 1ST PHASE QUALIFIERS FOR THE WYCC
FEBRUARY/MARCH
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

NAKURU OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
28th & 29th MARCH
CHESS KENYA

CHESS KENYA/FIDE ADMINISTRATOR'S SEMINAR
20th-30th MARCH
CHESS KENYA/FIDE

N.C.A. JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
Dates to be confirmed
NCA

1ST VETERANS OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
4TH APRIL
NCA

WORLD YOUTH U-16 CHESS OLYMPIAD FINAL SELECTION
11TH ,12TH & 13TH APRIL
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

WORLD YOUTH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL QUALIFIERS
1ST ,2ND & 3RD ,MAY
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

NCA EASTLANDS SENIOR OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
16TH & 17TH MAY
NCA

NATIONAL RAPID TEAM CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
31ST MAY &1ST JUNE
CHESS KENYA

KENYA NATIONAL CHESS LEAGUE 2009/10
JUNE ‘09 FEB ‘10
CHESS KENYA

JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
22ND JUNE
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

WORLD WOMEN’S TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 1ST PHASE QUALIFIERS
4TH & 5TH JULY
CHESS KENYA

WORLD WOMEN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL QUALIFIERS
18TH & 19TH JULY
CHESS KENYA

AFRICA JUNIOR CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL SELECTION
1ST & 2ND AUGUST
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

KISUMU OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
AUGUST
CHESS KENYA

NCA JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
12TH SEPTEMBER
NCA

INTER SCHOOLS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
26TH & 27TH SEPTEMBER
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

MOMBASA OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
9TH ,10TH & 11TH OCTOBER
CHESS KENYA

RAPID BLITZ OPEN CHESS TOURNAMENT
20TH OCTOBER
CHESS KENYA

JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
31ST OCTOBER
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

AFRICA TEAM CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (NAIROBI)
NOVEMBER
CHESS KENYA

EAST & CENTRAL AFRICA CLUB CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (KIGALI, RWANDA)
DATES TO BE CONFIRMED
RWANDESE CHESS FEDERATION

KENYA OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
DATES TO BE CONFIRMED
CHESS KENYA

NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS
DATES TO BE CONFIRMED
CHESS KENYA

JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
12TH &13TH DECEMBER
CK YOUTH COMMITTEE

The Return Of Edwin Korir

2009-03-13T09:43:00.002+03:00

Through thick and thin, through marauding militias and blood thirsty janja weed, from desert storms to to desert ovens from Kenya to Sudan and everything in between. Hello Kenya for the past few months I have not posted a blog entry but for very good reasons. I was in the Sudan on a peace keeping mission. Now in a place called Rumbek where electricity has never been discovered the internet is as alien as planet mongo. Chess news was had to come by and so I hear Anand is world champion! What about the local scene, well it seems from what I can gather from the Kenya chess forum that the same old ‘beef’ is going on.

But I played chess in the Sudan with a couple of patzers I was with and a UN worker from Lithuania who was extremely good. But the biggest part was trying to buffer Dafur from attacks by the Janja weed militia a modern day reincarnation of the 1800’s Madhi. It seems I have been in a time warp although I have gone through quite a number of my favorite websites to get updated e.g. chessbase, chessninja, chesscafe, London chess club, chesszone and thechessdrum.

Finally I saw a posting from mehul claiming that he won MIg in Chess worst chess poem of all time. Well I cannot dispute with that except for a small fact the the winner of the completion was called John Chernoff and mehul normally posts simply as well mehul well here is the poem.

Leko! Leko! Spurning fight
On the chessboard, as black (or white)
What immortal hand or eye
Could break thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant depth of plies
Blots the fire of thine eyes?
For what Queen dare he aspire?
What paroxysm doth seize his Sire?

And who bolder, & what art,
Could stir the Magyar in thy heart?
And when thine horse deigns retreat,
What Caro-Kann? & what dead scoresheet?

What Schlechter? What pawn chain?
To what purpose works thy brain?
What new angle? what dread trap
Dares your ready terror grasp?

When Kasparov lays down his spear,
And patzers spy the draw that’s near,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Leko! Leko! Taking flight
In the dullest fit of fright
What Oll or Tal in the sky
Could break thy fearful symmetry?

Chess Kenya Selection Comitee Meeting

2009-03-13T09:37:00.001+03:00

NATIONAL TEAM / SELECTION CHESS KENYA (CK) COMMITTEE 1st MEETING AT COCA-COLA STADIUM (FORMERLY NYAYO NATIONAL STADIUM) ON SUNDAY 1st MARCH 2009

Meeting commenced at 15.15hrs.

PRESENT

1.
Francis Ngesa
CK Chairman (Chaired meeting)
2.
Lawrence Kagambi
CK Secretary General
3.
Peter Gilruth
Member
4.
John Mukabi
Member (Taking minutes)
5.
Philip Singe
Member

ABSENT WITH APOLOGIES

Andolo Ambasi (CK Chairman), Steve Ouma (CK Assistant Secretary General), Mary Kanyua (CK Committee Member), Rose Wabuti (Member) and Douglas Ratemo (an official from Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports).

AGENDA

Africa Team Chess Championship
The 2010 World Chess Olympiad
Any other business (A.O.B.)

AFRICA TEAM CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP September 1st-10th 2009

Min. 1.1/09
The CK Secretary General gave an update on the recent 4-day visit (10th-14th February 2009) by FIDE (Federation Internationale des Eschecs, the world chess body) Vice-President for Africa Lewis Ncube who is a Zambian national. The official inspected the playing hall facilities at the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) , Kasarani, and approved of them.

Min. 1.2/09
A budget the total of which is KShs. 20 million (~ $250,000 or EUROS 200,000) was developed and handed over to him for FIDE and the Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports. This will cover accommodation for all teams, meals, hiring of the venue (@ KShs. 40,000/= per day), etc. FIDE will fund the bulk of the budget.

Min. 1.3/09
The Secretary General further revealed that the Turkish Chess Federation will donate equipment for the event in which all games will be transmitted live on the internet just as is done at the Olympiad. Mr Ncube has forwarded the budget to FIDE's presidential board for approval.

Min. 1.4/09
The Turkish Chess Federation will sponsor an administration seminar in Nairobi in May 2009 also at MISC in May 2009 (initially meant for March 2009) and will send personnel to conduct the course. Various sub-committees are to be formed as soon as possible to handle the seminar and the September event. It was noted as a matter of concern that government bureaucracy can slow things down considerably until the eleventh hour.

2

THE KENYA TEAM QUALIFIERS FOR THE AFRICA TEAM EVENT AND THE 2010 CHESS OLYMPIAD

Min. 1.5/09
It was decided that the national championships which are usually held in December be brought forward to May 1st-3rd 2009 and will serve as the first phases of both the Africa team event and the 2010 Olympiad. This has been necessitated by the fact that the Olympiad in Sochi, Russia, will be relatively early in June 2010.

The following ground rules to be widely circulated to players as soon as possible were set:

The national championships are open to all residents in Kenya including foreigners who have stayed for at least one (1) year by start of the event.
All participants must be fully paid up CK members for the current year by the start of the event. Individual membership is KShs. 2,400/= annually. The meeting recommended that payment be done in two instalments to cut down on paperwork. The last instalment or full payment can be done prior to round one.
The time limit will be 90 minutes flat for each player in all the phases of Africa team and Olympiad qualifiers. Other details will follow on the entry the forms.
The national championship will shortlist the top ten (10) men and if necessary the top ten (10) ladies for the final phase a single round-robin by tie-break to be indicated on the entry forms. These players are advised to have their travel documents in order for any trips, e.g. a build-up match outside Kenya.
The final teams of five (5) players each for both men (or open team as ladies can technically qualify!) and ladies will be restricted to two (2) non-Kenyan citizens if they qualify.
The 2nd phase of the Africa team qualifiers will be held on 29th-31st May and 1st June 2009. Two rounds will be played each day except on 30th May when three rounds will be played.
The same top ten men and ladies will play the 2nd phase Olympiad qualifiers 4th-6th December and 12th-13th December 2009. Two rounds will be played each day and one round on 13th December 2009. Colours will be reversed to those played in the Africa team qualifiers second phase.
Dates for residential and non-residential training will for both Africa team and Olympiad squads will be determined at a later date.
CK will endeavour to have a national coach to be seconded from country to be determined via their embassy or FIDE.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Min. 1.6/09
Tournament Directors will be required to give full reports after all tournaments including photographs and keep all records of games. These will be ideal for the media, sponsors, etc.

Min. 1.7/09
Team Managers/Captains will be encouraged to give regular briefs to the chess fraternity and most beneficially to the media.

The meeting ended at 16.18hrs and next one is slated for 15th March 2009.

Nakuru OPEN

2009-03-13T08:51:00.003+03:00

For the tenth year in a row the Rift valley machinaries will sponsor the Nakuru open chess tournament at the Midlands hotel from 28 to 29 march 2008. Below is the tournament invitation.

SPAIN WINS

2008-06-30T12:27:00.002+03:00

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — A big-game flop no more, Spain won the European Championship 1-0 over Germany on Sunday for its first major title in 44 years.MORE