Alliance High Open Chess Tournament – 2017

The annual Bush (Alliance High) Open Chess Tournament was held over the weekend of 4^th & 5^th January 2017 at the host school Alliance High School. This year’s edition saw an increased number of participants totaling 87 players, 44 in the Open Section and 43 in the Ladies Section.

This was the first time the Ladies were playing in the Bush Open as previously the men only fielded teams in chess. This was indeed a very welcome gesture to the noble game of chess.

The venue that was used was the Carey Francis Memorial Lecture Theatre.  To read more on the famous Carey Francis check out – Carey Francis.

A total of 8 schools participated in the 5 round Swiss system of pairing tournament. These schools were: Nairobi School, Alliance Girls High School, Starehe Boys Centre & School, Presbyterian University of East Africa (PUEA), Precious Blood Girls – Riruta, Makini Group of Schools, Buruburu Girls High School and the hosts, Alliance High School.

After the 5 rounds of play, Timothy Mwabu in the Open Section & Madelta Glenda in the Ladies Section emerged winners unbeaten from Alliance High School and Alliance Girls High School Respectively. In second position, in the Open Section six players finished joint second while in the Ladies Section, five players finished joint second.

Below are the Top Players in the respective Sections:

Open Section

1. Timothy Mwabu                     Alliance High School                5pnts
2. Brian Wang’ombe                   Alliance High School               4pnts
3. Jeremiah Nyaberi                    Alliance High School              4pnts
4. Elvis Likoko                         Alliance High School                 4pnts
5. Moses Joshua                         Alliance High School              4pnts
6. Charles Otieno                        Nairobi School                      4pnts
7. Shadrack Muthoka                  Starehe Boys Centre              4pnts

Ladies Section

1. Madelta Glenda                      Alliance Girls High School      5pnts
2. Edna Wangare                        Alliance Girls High School      4pnts
3. Lydiah Kinya                          Alliance Girls High School      4pnts
4. Stacy Nyambura                     Alliance Girls High School     4pnts
5. Elsa Majimbo                        Makini Group of Schools         4pnts
6. Paula Jones                          Alliance Girls High School       4pnts

The players also used this event as good practice grounds as they prepare to play in the forthcoming 2017 Kenya National Youth & Cadets Chess Championships (KNYCCC) Nairobi Region Qualifiers to be held on Saturday February 11^th from 8am-6.30pm in Alliance High School, organised by Chess Kenya. The Regional Qualifiers event will be used to ultimately select the 2017 National Junior team in various age categories to represent Kenya in regional and international events of 2017.

Story done by Duke Micheka.

Peter Duke Michieka King’oina is a licensed FIDE Arbiter (FA) and also a National Instructor (NA). Chess is life to Duke and you are likely to find him at most chess events within Kenya helping out and always ready to give a helping hand, from arbitration, to organization, to basic training.