Home Chess News 2025 KCB Chess Open – Gong Thon Gong the winner

2025 KCB Chess Open – Gong Thon Gong the winner

November 2, 2025

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2025 KCB Chess Open – Gong Thon Gong the winner

The 2025 KCB Chess Open Tournament, which concluded last weekend, was a resounding success. The highlight of the event was Gong Thon Gong’s remarkable victory, clinching the title with seven points out of eight rounds and winning a modestl cash prize of KES 58,333. His win not only solidified his position as the top player in the region but also left a lasting impression on the chess community.

The competition was fierce, with Manyok Chaderek of South Sudan and CM Emmanuel Egesa of Uganda both scoring seven points. Their performance was so close that the silver and bronze positions were decided on tie-breaks. Each of them went home with a cash prize of KES 58,333.

Gong Thon Gong (left) receiving his trophy for winning the event.

Noteworthy is that Gong Thon Gong’s victory marks his fourth win in Kenya for 2025, solidifying his position as the top player in the region. His other victories included the Waridi Chess Festival, the Mavens Open, and the Kisumu Open, all of which were held in the first quarter of 2025.

IM Mwali Chitumbo of Zambia, rated at 2392, was the top-seeded player and star attraction of the event. He found the going difficult and scored six points, ending up in joint third place and ninth in the ranking.

The Chess Kenya Federation, which had sponsored IM Mwali’s trip for the event, put up a KES 30,000 bounty for any Kenyan who defeats the star. In the end, it was 16-year-old Paul Olando Jr who managed to bring down IM Mwali in their round two encounter with a decisive victory.

Readers will recall Paul Olando’s meteoric rise with his victory in the Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki Championship held in September 2025.

A total of just over 220 players took part in the Open Section, with a cash prize of KES 330,000, making it one of the most lucrative events in Kenya.

Ladies Section

Bella Nashipae, the 14-year-old talent from Nairobi Chess Academy (NACHA), scored 7.5 points out of eight rounds to win his section and go home with a whopping KES 100,000 (USD 800) as her cash prize.

WFM Sasha Mongeli, WFM Sana Omprakash Kayyar of Uganda and Nicole Albright scored six points each to end in joint second place and take home KES 30,000 each.

This section saw sixty participants fighting for a total cash prize of KES 310,000.

Bella Nashipae receiving her prize for winning the Ladies Section.

Junior Section

Ryan Kamada won the Boys’ Section with six points out of six rounds, while Jadarudo Oluchiri Achieng won the Ladies’ Section with the same score.

The Boys Section had just over 190 players while the Girls Section had 84 players.