Home Chess News WFM Sasha Mongeli crowned 2021 Kenya Ladies National Champion

WFM Sasha Mongeli crowned 2021 Kenya Ladies National Champion

January 1, 2022

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WFM Sasha Mongeli crowned 2021 Kenya Ladies National Champion

Benard Wanaja President of the Chess Kenya Federation presents the prize to 2021 Kenya National Ladies Chess Champion WFM Sasha Mongeli. Photo credit Oliver Ananda.

WFM Sasha Mongeli was last Thursday evening crowned the 2021 Kenya Ladies National Champion at the Luke Hotel, Nairobi. The exciting event saw 36 ladies battling it out for top honours and a share of the KES 210,000 (USD 2,000) on offer. WFM Sasha Mongeli went home with the top prize of KES 100,000.

In the first phase of the event, a 9 round Swiss saw WFM Sasha Mongeli tie with Triza Mwenda with 24 points each out of 9 rounds to qualify for the finals.

The final phase consisted of 2 rapid games, and, if necessary, the Armageddon tiebreakers would be applied.

Triza Mwenda (left) takes on WFM Sasha Mongeli in the tie-break. Photo credit Oliver Ananda.

WFM Mongeli won both her rapid games to grab her maiden national title.

WCM Joyce Ndirangu, a silver medalist at the 2021 World Amateur Championship U1700, scored 21 points to claim the next spot.

Madelta Glenda, the gold medalist at the 2021 World Amateur Championship U1700, obtained 16 points to end in joint 4th place or 10th in the ranking.

Interestingly, Elizabeth Cassidy & Fantalis Lucy Nduta, who are under ten years old, were impressive with 4.5 points out of 9 rounds. Both girls now qualify for the next phase of the Olympiad Qualification events, which kicks off in a few weeks.

Elizabeth Cassidy is a gold medalist from the recently concluded 2021 African Schools Individual Chess Championship held in Nairobi.

Benard Wanaja President of the Chess Kenya Federation presents the prize to Triza Mwenda. Photo credit Oliver Ananda.

WFM Sasha Mongeli v Triza Mwenda – Rapid 1

Triza Mwenda v WFM Sasha Mongeli – Rapid 2

Facts about WFM Sasha Mongeli

25-year-old WFM Sasha Mongeli was a member of the Technical University of Kenya team, winning gold at the 2018 East African University Games.

She obtained her WFM title at the 2018 Batumi Olympiad, her first Olympiad outing.

Star Times Director of Marketing and PR, Mr. Japheth Akhulia presents Sasha Mongeli with her prize. Photo credit Star Times.

WFM Sasha Mongeli in October 2018 won the Sports Journalist Awards Kenya (SJAK) sports personality of the month following her exceptional performance at the Batumi Olympiad.

She has represented Kenya at the 2019 All African Games in Casablanca, Morocco, and the 2021 World Amateur Chess Championship in Rhodes, Greece.