The biggest chess event in Kenya must surely be the Kenya National Youth Chess Championship. This event is run at regional level and the top 3 from each age group and region then meet in the finals.
This year’s edition is expected to have almost one thousand players competing to be crowned “Kenya National Youth Chess Champion” in their respective age groups.
Players compete in the U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18 for both boys and girls.
190 children last week participated in the 2018 edition of the Kenya National Youth Chess Championship – Nairobi Region.
Makini School along Riara Road was the centre of activity with the event being organised by NACHA on behalf of Chess Kenya.
The top 3 winners in each categories will be eligible to play in the finals which is set to run from 16th to 18th March 2018. The venue will be Kaimosi Girls in Vihiga.
Moving the finals to Vihiga is a welcome development which will generate great interest in previously neglected areas of Kenya. Nairobi has always been the host city for the finals in the the past which acted as a big deterrent to promoting the game to other regions of Kenya.
The dates for the remaining regional qualifiers are shown below;
Kiambu County 17th – 18th February 2018 Alliance Boys.
Kakamega County 17th – 18th February 2018 Mukumu Girls.
Tranzoia County 3rd – 4th March 2018 St Joseph Boys.
Nandi County 3rd – 4th March 2018 Kapsabet Boys.
Kisumu/Homabay 3rd – 4th March 2018 Kisumu Boys.
Vihiga County 3rd – 4th March 2018 St Joseph Boys.
Machakos County 10th -11th March 2018.
South Nyanza & Kisii 10th -11th March 2018.
Mandera Region 10th -11th March 2018.
Elkeyo Marakwet County 10th -11th March St. Partrick’s Iten.
Central Region 10th -11th March Bishops Gatimu, Ngandu Girls.
Further details can be found on chess-results.
