2025 Kenya National Chess League kicks off
The 2025 Kenya National Chess League kicked off on 29th March 2025 at the Cooperative University of Kenya in Karen, with a record-breaking 52 teams participating.
The Premier Division has seventeen teams, Super Division A has eighteen, and Super Division B has seventeen.
The top three teams from Super Division A and three teams from Super Division B will compete in a round-robin event to determine the winner of the Super Division. The top three teams from the play-offs will be promoted to the Premier Division, and the three bottom teams will be relegated to the Super Division.
The first weekend was full of surprises.
Mavens Chess Club stunned the defending Champions Equity Bank Chess Club by holding them to a draw in their round one encounter. In round two, Equity Bank Chess Club was again surprised when Black Knights Chess Club also snatched a draw from them.
In rounds three and four, Equity Bank Chess Club managed to win against Nairobi Chess Club and Slippery Anchors by a score of 3.5 to 1.5.
KCB Bank Chess Club, on the other hand, had a flying start, winning 4-1 against Knights Chess Academy and Nairobi Chess Club by a 3-2 margin. Their round 3 opponents, Kisumu Chess Club, failed to turn up, while they demolished Anchor Mercenaries 3.5-1.5 in the final fourth round of the weekend.
Nairobi Chess Club off to a bumpy start
Nairobi Chess Club, which narrowly avoided relegation last year, got off to a fine start with a 4-1 victory over Elite Chess Academy & Club. However, in the subsequent two rounds, they faced the two top teams in the league—KCB Bank Chess Club and Equity Bank Chess Club—losing narrowly to both. They lost 3-2 to KCB Bank and 3.5 – 1.5 to Equity Bank.
Interesting facts about the league
The event has an international flavour, with 14 players from Uganda, seven from South Sudan, and one from Germany.
FM Patrick Kawuma of Uganda, who plays for Equity Bank Chess Club, is the highest-ranked player in the event with an Elo rating of 2227.
However, all eyes will be on Gong Thon Gong, who has won three consecutive tournaments in Kenya and plays for Mavens Tacticians.
The league action will resume during the weekend of the 17th and 18th May 2025.
Game Corner
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Links
2025 Kenya National Chess League on chess-results.com.
Equity Bank win 2024 Kenya National League.
2024 Kenya National Chess League kicks off.
The 2024 Kenya National Chess League on chess-results.com.
Equity Bank Chess Club wins 2023 Kenya National League.
2023 Kenya National League on chess-results.com.
KCB Bank Chess Club wins 2022 Kenya Premier League.
2022 Kenya National Chess League – Premier League on chess-results.com.
2022 Kenya National League commences.
2020 Kenya National Chess League starts.
KCB Chess Club wins 2019 Kenya National League.
Equity Bank Chess Club win 2018 Kenya National Chess League.
2017 African Chess Club Championship – Closing Ceremony.
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Article by Kenya Chess Masala.