Sana Kayyar Wins CtG Pilot Tournament With 6/6!
Sana Kayyar, a plucky twelve-year-old from Nyali, made history on Saturday, 4th September by winning Mombasa’s first OTB (over-the-board) chess tournament since February 2020 with 6 points from 6 rounds at the Close the Gap Pilot Chess Tournament.
Sana, a Year 8 student at Oshwal Academy Mombasa, began learning chess after the pandemic began and has been trained by ex-national champion CM Ben Magana for the past 6 months.
Following her in second place was younger brother Shoubhith Kayyar who finished the tournament with 4 points.
Genevieve Maashao, also with 4 points but a worse tie-break score, came in third.
All three prize winners received medals and cash as follows:
- Sana Kayyar – Gold medal + KES 1,250/-
- Shoubhith Kayyar – Silver medal + KES 1,000/-
- Genevieve Maashao – Bronze medal + KES 750/-
The final standings after 6 rounds were as follows:
Held at Close the Gap Cafe in Ratna Square, Nyali, the 6-round rapid tournament attracted 9 players, of which 7 were juniors representing either Mombasa Chess Academy or Lighthouse Chess Club.
More photos from the event can be viewed in the slideshow below:
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Tournament participants and friendly game players at Close the Gap Cafe
Article by Paras Gudka and photos by Esther Ocholla
Related links:
- Final ranking (Chess-Results).
Chess Shop
