The juggernaut KCB Chess Club (KCBCC) were held to a hotly contest draw during the ongoing 2017 Kenya National Chess League by Nairobi Chess Club. The match which was played during the weekend of 16th & 17th September 2017 at the KCB Club, Ruaraka was the one of highlight of the event.
KCB Chess Club who have won the event a record 9 times needed to win this encounter after their painful 4-1 loss to pre-event favourites Equity Chess Club earlier in the year.
NCC on the other hand were looking for redemption after their humiliating 5-0 defeat to Strathmore a few weeks earlier.
KCBCC brought out the big guns with CM Ben Magana on board 1 and FM Harold Wanyama on board 2. The rest of the line up included Joseph Methu, Philip Singe and WCM Krishi Shah.
NCC on the other hand relied on their formidable lineup of Peter Gilruth, Mehul Gohil, Vasanth Ramesh, Roberto Viluella and Rose Nyamahiga.
It was clear that KCBCC were going to win this crunch match when FM Harold Wanyama outplayed Mehul Gohil who dropped a piece on move 23.
On board 5 Krishi Shah was clearly winning in Karpovian style and it was only a matter of time when the result was 2-0 in favour of KCBCC.
However the tables gradually turned when on board 3 Vasanth Ramesh held Joseph Methu to a draw while Ben Magana and Philip Singe lost to Peter Gilruth and Roberto Viluella to tie the match at 2.5-2.5.
NCC now move to the top of the league table and will take on Equity Chess Club on 1st October 2017 which will virtually be the deciding match on who wins the 2017 KNCL title.
