Chess players in the region are eagerly awaiting the weekend of the 9th and 10th July 2016 when the Nairobi satellite edition of the 2016 Millionaire Chess will take place at the renown Nairobi Gymkhana Club, which is located off Forest Road in Nairobi.
Click here to register for event.
The event which has been sponsored once again by Kasparov Chess Foundation Africa. The winner will get an all expense paid trip to Atlantic City, USA to play in the 3rd edition of Millionaire Chess in a package worth almost KES 250,000 (USD 2,500).
The famous Nairobi Gymkhana Club are the hosts and key organisers of this event in conjunction with Waridi Chess Ventures and Terrian Chess Academy who will be providing DGT boards for live transmission of the top 5 boards.
The organisers of this event have decided that this event will be limited to players who are rated 2000 and below. This is a novel idea and is expected to generate great excitement and enthusiasm across a broad spectrum of players who will be attracted by the top prize and other cash prizes.
The total prize fund is a staggering KES 120,000. Details are shown below;
GM Maurice Ashley from USA will be in attendance which will add further sparkle and spice in this year’s event when he plays a simultaneous at the same venue. GM Maurice Ashley is a partner with Ms Amy Lee in Millionaire Chess.
GM Maurice Ashley is a well loved figure in the world of chess and his presence in Kenya is expected to generate great interest in our media.
What is of particular interest to chess observers in Kenya is that Nairobi Gymkhana have now become a key player in our chess world by staging this prestigious event. Last year they played host to the 2015 Kenya National Speed Chess Championship which attracted over 110 players. GM Nigel Short was also present and who played a simultaneous against 30 Kenyan players.
We at Kenya Chess Masala are delighted to see Nairobi Gymkhana Club joining the vibrant world of Kenyan chess. Will the 2017 Nairobi edition of Millionaire Chess have a top prize of KES 1,000,000 (USD 10,000)? I believe that Nairobi Gymkhana Club have the organisational capability and skill to bring that kind of money to the world of Kenya chess.
An earlier story on this forthcoming event can be found here 2016 Millionaire Chess.
