2021 Mombasa Open Chess Championship
Mombasa Chess Club has released details of the forthcoming 2021 Mombasa Open Chess Tournament.
The hugely popular annual event will run from 9th to 11th October 2021 at the Mombasa Continental Resort. The Open and the Ladies Section will have seven rounds with 90-minute flat time control. The Junior Section will run on 10th October with a time control of 30 minutes over six rounds.
The Mombasa Open has one of Africa’s most iconic floating trophies known as ‘Athena‘ aptly named after the Greek goddess of war.
Past winners
Past winners of this popular event include the following;
2019 – Mehul Gohil (Kenya)
2018 – CM Ben Magana (Kenya)
2017 – IM Elijah Emojong (Uganda)
2016 – IM Elijah Emojong (Uganda)
2015 – IM Arthur Ssegwanyi (Uganda)
2014 – Mathias Ssonko (Uganda)
2013 – FM Haruna Nsubuga (Uganda)
2012 – LGM Brian Kidula (Kenya)
2011 – FM Harold Wanyama (Uganda)
2010 – FM Harold Wanyama (Uganda)
Interesting chess facts about Mombasa
Viswanathan Anand, the former World Chess Champion, is the first Grandmaster to visit Mombasa. The article on his visit can be found here.
Mombasa Chess Club and Lighthouse Chess Club are two of the most active chess clubs in Mombasa.
Interesting facts about Mombasa
It is the second-largest city in Kenya, with a population of just over 1.3 million inhabitants.
Mombasa was the capital of the Protectorate of Kenya from 1887 to 1906. However, the capital was moved to Nairobi afterwards and has remained there ever since.
Oman ruled the city three times between 1698-1728, 1729-1824, and again from 1826-1887.
Mombasa is well-known in photos for its giant aluminium elephant tusks that span across busy Moi Avenue. The tusks were built to commemorate Princess Margaret’s visit to Kenya in 1956 when Kenya was still part of the British Empire.
Mombasa appears in various Arabic texts from the 12th to the 14th century making it one of the oldest towns in Kenya.
The imposing Fort Jesus is a popular tourist destination. The fort was a critical player in nine battles between nations that wanted control of the Kenyan coast, including Portugal, England and Oman. Those years of turmoil earned Mombasa the nickname ‘Island of War.’
Fort Jesus was built between 1593 and 1596 by order King Filipe I of Portugal, to guard the Old Port of Mombasa.
Links
Mehul Gohil wins 2019 Mombasa Open.
CM Ben Magana wins 2018 Mombasa Open.
IM Elijah Emojong wins 2017 Mombasa Open.
