The most enjoyable chess tournament in Kenya has to be the annual Mombasa Open which is traditionally held over the “Mashujaa Day” which is celebrated on 20th October.
This prestigious event is traditionally organised by Mombasa Chess Club’s and has attracted a loyal following over the years. The allure of sun and sand ensures a steady stream of fun loving chess players.
This years edition commenced on 20th October 2016 at the Sky Fries Restaurant within the Technical University of Mombasa compound and will conclude on 23rd October 2016.
A total of 70 players have registered with 48 players playing in the Open section which has a top prize of KES 30,000 (USD 300).
Missing in action will be the defending champion IM Arthur Ssegwanyi of Uganda and a plethora of other top players including Peter Gilurth, Mehul Gohil and Githinji Hinga.
Leading the pack for top honours include IM Elijah Emojong who is rated 2327 and FM Harold Wanyama 2272 both of Uganda.
The Ugandans occupy the top 4 spots on the ranking list and it will take a miracle for any Kenyan player to stop them. In fact the only Kenyan players who are likely to upset the apple cart for the Ugandans are FM Stephen Ouma of KCB and John Mukabi of Equity Bank.
This year’s event has been sponsored by Golden Key Casino and Dr Philip Mwashe and supported by the Technical University of Mombasa.
At the end of round 3 a total of 5 Ugandans were at the top of the table with CM Wachira Wachania from Kenya struggling to stay with this leading pack of Ugandans.
