2nd FIDE Chess Olympiad PWD - Kenya wins bronze

2nd FIDE Chess Olympiad PWD – Kenya wins bronze

The 2nd FIDE Chess Olympiad PWD ended on a high note when Mercy Cherono won a bronze medal. She now joins the elite group of only the second Kenyan to win a medal at an Olympiad, the first being Saif Kanani, who won a silver medal at the 1980 Chess Olympiad in Malta.

Mercy Cherono, rated 1678, finished tied on 5/6 points with Julia Salamon (1976) of Poland and Ali Mohamed (1984) of Egypt on Board 4, ultimately ranking third on tiebreak to secure the bronze medal. Her victory marks a historic milestone not only for Kenya but for Africa, as she was the only African woman medalist in the event.

Mercy Cherono scored impressive wins against Yegembayeva Yenlik (Panama), Parkhomovich Iryna (Russia), Munoz Rodriguez Alba Cristal (Panama), Arsova Marija (North Macedonia), and Belal Alshehh Hamad (UAE).

She is the reigning 2024 African PWD Women’s Champion and the 2025 Kenya National PWD Champion, cementing her place among Kenya’s top female chess players.

2nd FIDE Chess Olympiad — Mercy Cherono (2nd from right) on the podium. Photo credit FIDE.

Team Kenya

The Kenyan contingent comprised

Otieno Ronny (Visually Impaired – VI)

Mercy Cherono (Physically Handicapped – PH)

Clinton Munene Muriithi (Visually Impaired – VI)

Clement Chomu Miheso (Physically Handicapped – PH)

Daphne Mwikali – Head of Delegation and Chairperson, PWD & Special Needs Committee

Isaac Babu – Team Coach and Chairman, Chess Kenya League Committee

Chess Kenya President, Benard Wanjala, congratulated the entire team and especially praised Mercy Cherono for “flying the Kenyan flag high.” He also commended coach Isaac Babu for his leadership and thanked Daphne Mwikali for her tireless efforts in promoting PWD and women’s chess, efforts that are clearly bearing fruit.

As part of Chess Kenya’s recognition of her outstanding performance, Mercy Cherono has received full sponsorship to represent Kenya at the 2025 Commonwealth Chess Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 8th to 17th November 2025.

Team standings

The final standings crowned the champions of the 2nd Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities:

1st Place – Russia (Babarykin, Ermakov, Lipilin, Zakharova, Obodchuk)
2nd Place –Poland (Tazbir, Molenda, Piekielny, Leszner, Wolanski)
3rd Place – Israel (Gruenfeld, Streltsov, Gurbanov, Aleksandrova)

A short but powerful history

The Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities has a brief yet inspiring history. It began in 2020 with the first Online Olympiad, which saw 61 teams from 45 countries and nearly 400 players with Poland took gold in that inaugural edition.

Three years later, the dream of meeting over the board became reality in Belgrade, Serbia, where 23 teams competed in the first in-person event. Poland once again emerged victorious. This year in Astana, the Olympiad reached a record 34 participating teams, making it the largest and most inclusive edition to date.

The story continues: starting in 2026, the Olympiad for People with Disabilities will be held alongside the main Chess Olympiad, beginning in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.