14th Capablanca Cup - Peter Gilruth grabs title

14th Capablanca Cup – Peter Gilruth grabs title

The 14th Capablanca Cup ended last weekend with Peter Gilruth winning the Open Section with 3.5 points out of four rounds. Ken Omolo was second, while upcoming junior star Kyle Kuka snatched third place. Zadock Nyakundi, however, missed the silverware by ending up in 4th place even though all four had 3.5 points each but were separated by tie-breaks. All four players equally shared the cash prize of KES 30,000.

Peter Gilruth is now a three time winner (2015, 2023 & 2024) of this iconic Kenyan event.

Peter Gilruth (right) receives his prize for winning the Open Section of the 14th Capablanca Cup from Willy Simons the Chairman of Nairobi Chess Club.

Lady’s Section

The Lady’s Section was also a hotly contest event, boasting cash prizes equal to the Open Section. The 2023 Kenya National Ladies Champion WFM Sasha Mongeli grabbed the top slot with 3.5 points. Mercy Cherono was second with 3.5 points but a lower tie-break. Both ladies shared the KES 30,000 cash prize for their efforts.

Mercy Cherono put up an excellent fight in the final-round encounter to snatch a draw against WFM Sasha Mongeli in a game in which both players made inaccurate moves in the time scramble.

Shannon Bulimo grabbed the third slot with three points.

Duke Michieka the Chief Arbiter of the event presents WFM Sasha Mongeli with her trophy for winning the Ladies Section.

Duke Michieka presents Mercy Cherono with her trophy for coming out second in the Ladies Section.

U1800 Section

The U1800 was another exciting affair with WCM Joyce Nyaruai, breaking the gender barrier by winning it with a perfect score of four points out of four rounds to go home with a glittering trophy and KES 20,000. She was the only lady contestant in this section!

WCM Joyce Nyaruai receives her trophy from Peter Gilruth the Vice Chairman of Nairobi Chess Club.

Peter Munyao took second place with 3.5 points and earning KES 10,000 for his effort. Brian Mmamta took the third place with 3 points.

It was heartbreaking for the youngest contestant, ten-year-old Yashmith Ram Chaikam, in the U1800 Section. He was on the maximum three points after fine wins against Collins Tabu, Michael Kiggs and Jeremiah Machar Nhial in the first three rounds.

Ten-year-old Yashmith Ram Chaikam, in action in the U1800 section.

In the last and final round, he faced WCM Joyce Nyaruai, a former Kenya National Ladies Champion who had just returned from Madagascar after winning the Zone 4.4 Chess Championship. WCM Joyce Nyaruai was unforgiving and quickly dismissed Yashmith Ram Chaikam, who ended up in 4th place and gained an impressive 100 Elo points!

Willy Simons the Chairman of Nairobi Chess Club in action.

Brian Mmata receives his trophy for 3rd place from Nairobi Chess Club's Vice Chairman Peter Gilruth. — Brian Mmata receives his trophy for 3rd place from Nairobi Chess Club’s Vice Chairman Peter Gilruth.

U1600 Section

Victor Mwangi won the U1600 Section with five points. Sean Mugi was second, while John Atieli was third. All three scored 5 points out of six rounds with a one hour time control.

The event at The Goan Gymkhana from 27th to 28th January 2024 saw 100 contestants battling it in four different sections. The Open Section had 20 players, the Ladies Section had 13 players, the U1800 Section had 22, and the U1600 Section had 46 players.