GM Smerdon visit to Kenya
Kenyan chess received a big boost with the recent private visit by GM David Smerdon of Australia.
He used the visit to meet up with members of Kenya’s small but vibrant chess community.
GM David Smerdon is a rare breed of player. Not only is he a Grandmaster but also a Ph.D holder in Economics. He is a professor at University of Queensland, in Applied Economics and Evolutionary Methods.
You can find out more about GM Smerdon by visiting his informative website – David Smerdon – Musings on chess, and lesser things.
He has represented Australia in 7 Chess Olympiads and written a book on the Scandinavian Opening.
One of his non chess highlights was his Maasai baptism! He was baptised as ‘Ng’orialem‘ by the Maasai! Ng’orialme means ‘bull with a white-and-red dotted head’.
Visit to Nairobi Chess Club
GM Smerdon spent an afternoon at Nairobi Chess Club on 23rd June 2018. A short report on this visit can be found here – GM Smerdon visits Nairobi Chess Club.
Simultaneous at Nairobi Gymkhana
The following Sunday (,1st July 2018) he took on 23 young chess players at Nairobi Gymkhana Club.
Nairobi Gymkhana Chess Club has hosted 2 visiting grandmasters in the recent past.
These include GM Nigel Short in July 2015, and GM Maurice Ashely in 2016.
Nairobi Gymkhana Club presented GM Smerdon with an engraved, brass rhino statue to commemorate his visit.
