Chess players in Kenya are getting ready for the 1st major event of 2016 which is the 6th edition of the Capablanca Cup which is set for the weekend of 20th & 21st February 2016 at the Braeburn School, Gitanga Road, Nairobi.
The event which is being hosted by Nairobi Chess Club will see players fight it out in 4 separate sections which are Prestige, Open, Ladies and the U14.
The 2015 edition of this event was poorly attended and only attracted a total of 46 players fighting for a cash prize of KES 27,000 (USD 270). The top prize was KES 8,000 for that edition.
This year’s event has a much bigger cash prize fund of KES 64,000 (USD 640) which coupled with the separate divisions is expected to attract a record number of players. The top prize in the Prestige section is KES 15,000 (USD 150).
The defending champion is Peter Gilruth who is expected to defend his title. He is expected to face stiff competition from Ben Magana and Mehul Gohil who are expected to play in the event.
It is expected that Chess Kenya will include this event as part of the Grand Prix circuit which will enable chess players to improve their TPR and boost their chances of representing Kenya in the forthcoming 2016 Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. See separate story on this website – 2016 Baku Olympiad
We will as usual bring you exclusive coverage on our Twitter and Facebook Page while the event is going on.
