Kenya triumphs in 2024 African Amateurs Chess Championship
Kenya’s perseverance was evident in the just concluded 2024 African Amateurs Chess Championship, as it retained its first position for two years, winning three golds out of 6 on offer. Uganda won 2, while Somalia won one, closing the list of gold medal winners. Elizabeth Cassidy, one of Kenya’s top junior player also displayed remarkable perseverance, winning a silver medal in the under U1700 category.
U1700 Section
Chrisphinus Wanjiru, representing Light House Chess Club, triumphed in the U1700 Open category, securing the first gold. His journey to this victory began with the Online Zonal qualification, where he earned a slot for Zone 4.4 through his hard work and dedication.
Gloria Jumba of KCB Chess Club brought the second gold medal in the category of U1700 Women with 8/9 points. Gloria maintained the lead for the better part of the tournament, which was combined with the Open section. She finished the tournament undefeated, with six wins and two draws. Elizabeth Cassidy of KCB Chess Club & Progressive Academy Kitale finished second in the same category
WCM Joyce Nyaruai closed the medal bracket, bringing the third gold medal in the U2000 Women category.
In the final round, there was hope that Jackson Kamau and the Kenya National Champion Joseph Methu would finish on the podium if they won their last game. However, Jackson lost to Somalia’s Abdulkadir Mohamed Warsame, who went on to win the tournament. Sadly, the same fate befell our Joseph Methu who drew his game against Jimmy Balewa of Uganda.
KCB Bank, as part of their ongoing support for chess, generously sponsored the seven participants who took part in the championship, demonstrating their commitment to the sport and the players.
Defending Champion
FM Haruna Nsubuga of Uganda successfully defended his title that he won in Mombasa, Kenya in 2022. He won the title with a score of 8.5 points out of nine rounds.
William Mwape of Zambia grabbed the silver medal with eight points while his compatriot got the bronze medal with 6.5 points. This section featured a total of 14 participants from six federations.
Game corner
Other details
The event, which ran from 21st to 29th July 2024 at the Hotel Source du Nil, saw a total of fifty-two players battling for top honours in the three sections.
In addition to a modest prize fund, the winner from each section won personal rights to participate in the 2025 World Amateur Championship with free boarding and lodging, a thrilling opportunity for the champions.
Links
2024 live games from the 2024 Africa Amateurs Chess Championship.
2024 African Amateurs Individual Chess Championships on chess-results.com.
Preview of the 2024 African Amateur Chess Championship.
African Amateur 2022 Chess Championship comes to an end.
2022 African Amateur Chess Championship.
2018 African Amateur Chess Championship.
Article by Kenya Chess Masala.
