GORILLA FART: SPECIAL CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION

December 21, 2025

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GORILLA FART: SPECIAL CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION

By Mehul Gohil

The Traditional Pre-Championship Fartology analysis

The forthcoming National Championships will be going down as the strongest in Kenyan history. Let us look at some data to qualify this assertion:

1. Average Elo of participants is 1995.

2. The eleven have collectively won or achieved or attained status of the following:

a) 5 National Championships
b) 5 Championship Cars
c) 4 National Junior championships
d) 2 National Blitz Championships, 1 National Rapid Championship.
e) 5 are Olympians
f) 2 GM slayers, 2 IM drawers
g) 1 FM and 2 CMs,
h) Winners of 3 of the Grand Prix tournaments in 2025.

3. Each player comes for a club that finished in the top 3 in the 2025 National Chess League. Age of the participants ranges from 13 years to 50 years.

This is a quality field. Age of the participants ranges from 13 years to 50 years, providing a good balance of the best dinosaurs & millennials and the best of the Alpha/Gen Z Generations.

Any one of the eleven players can become the 2025 Kenya National Champion. Each one has what it takes to be in the driver’s seat, even if some are ineligible to get a Driver’s License. However, this elite field has to observe the Animal Farm Law: All 11 Lions are equal but some Lions are more equal than others.

What follows is my subjective and personal view of how I see the chances of my opponents in the 2025 Kenya National Championship. I have played against all of them except one (Jadon). And having won three Championships, I am one of the very few in the country who can give a credible insight into how the Animal Farm Law will operate at the 2025 National Championship (only Humphrey Andolo, who has won more with five championship titles, and Magana has won the same number as me can elucidate on matters National Championship at the same or better level).

As I see it, there are four players (the more equal Lions) I consider the favourites to win the car, the championship and 2026 bragging rights. About a 70% gorilla-estimate chance. The rest (the less equal Lions) have an outside 30% Gorilla-estimate chance.

Let me guide you to a more specific breakdown:

THE BIG FAVOURITES:

CM Robert McLigeyo

My money is on Robert ‘Fischer’ to become the first player since Humphrey Andolo to win back to back national titles and join me as the owner of two chess cars. He is peaking at just the right time. Over the last three months he has played against quality opposition in Norway and Italy, beating players rated between 2100 – 2300 in some games and bagging over 30 Elos points in the process and moving back to Kenya No.1 status. In one Norway tournament he got 6.5/9 against an average opposition of 2089. That would translate to about 8.5/10 for the 2025 National Championship. That would equate to a car-level performance.

In addition, it is noticeable how accurate he is vs sub 2100 opposition in the games (relative to Kenyan standards of play). It will take something very special to beat McLigeyo in a game.

Finally, I must point out that McLigeyo IS A MASTER OF THE ROUND ROBIN SYSTEM OF PLAY. He has invariably finished in 1st place in the previous round robins he took part in (which were then the final phase of national team qualifiers). He has the right temperament for this system, knowing when to draw and when to push for a win. One could say The 2025 National Championship has been tailor-made for him.

Kenya No.2, Hawi Kaloki

Like McLigeyo, Hawi is peaking at just the right time. He has amassed over 100 Elo points over the last three months, no easy feat. But what is most striking is the quality of his play. A close look at his games shows he is improving MONTH ON MONTH.

His prowess in the technical phase of the game is almost on par with McLigeyo’s. But he is better at prophylaxis and long term manouvering than him. (McLigeyo however is a more dangerous and better attacker than Hawi). He is a very careful player. Keeps things real neat and tidy. An example: I was spectating his game vs FM Kandil of Egypt (Elo 2288) at the recent AYCC. He had the young Pharaoh on the ropes. His play in the middle game to endgame transition was clinical. It was only in the extreme time pressure that he discombobulated. But otherwise, everything in that game indicated the play of a seasoned 2300 Elo player. And that is the strength he is bringing to the board come December 26th.

THE CHOSEN ONE

FM Jadon Simiyu

It has been an extra-ordinary year for the Kenyan wunderkind – Winning an open tournament featuring 2200 plus players (and downing them too), youngest Kenyan to hit No.1 on the rating list etc.

He could cap off an already brilliant year with a Championship Title. Keep in mind, GM Amon Simutowe announced himself by winning the Zambian National Championship at the age of 14. Jadon can do the same in Kenya at age 13. And maybe that will trigger off a clear trajectory to the GM title, like it did for GM Simutowe.

In terms of experience playing against top level opposition, Jadon has had chance to play in two such international events this year. I can personally tell you that plays a big role come the National Championship – in 2019 I played in the 2019 Zonals (Egyptian GMs – one of whom I destroyed) and the 2019 All Africa Games. These two events had a positive effect in hardening me and come the December of 2019 I was unstoppable. I see Jadon getting the chance to do the same thing. He will most certainly be hardened by now. Getting baptized in Zambia is a noteworthy thing.

And his style of play is very efficient. His opening systems, when you end up in them, work with ruthless precision. They are really well worked out. He pounces on any small error. Also, he is pretty accurate. Maybe not on the level of McLigeyo but errors…he makes them rarely. Jadon is the chosen one. It may be that the only thing stopping him from driving a chess car come the afternoon of Dec 31 2025 will be not the Animal Farm Law but the Kenyan Law.

THE DARK HORSE

CM Ben Magana

It is a most shocking statistic that a contender for Kenyan GOAT status, a living legend, a GM slayer, three x National Champion has not yet won a chess car. Just shocking.

Nevertheless, Ben Magana is the ONLY player in the 21st Century to be one of the favourites IN EVERY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP he has played in. You can NEVER EVER count him out. It really is a question of: What is his appetite for the fight? If he has it, nothing will stop him from getting the car. No McLigeyo, No Chosen One, no noisy and farty Gorilla…nothing will stop him for getting the car. If the right and fighting Magana shows up at the board come Dec 26 2025. He did show a flash of the Old Magana in the final Grand Prix event. That could possibly build to more than a flash come the last week of Dec.

He has the most balanced and universal style of any Kenyan in any era of its chess history. He is the definition of STRONG.

The above four favourites have all got something in common in their playing style: They are ACCURATE, they are SOLID, they PRIORITIZE SAFETY AND CHESSBOARD SANITY OVER CHESSBOARD FLAMBOYANCE, they are ready to dig in AND PLAY THE LONG GAME. Each four of them has this quality. That is why they are the favourites.

The remaining players in the field are not as Solid, Accurate or have the same level of Chessboard Sanity as these four. But they are not risk averse. A Njoroge is ready to take risks a McLigeyo or Jadon will not. An Irungu is OK with showcasing flamboyant, complicated and calculation intensive chess, something that would be anathema to a Kaloki.

Let’s take a look at these other players:

SLIGHT CHANCES

Here we have the ex-champions Martin Njoroge and Mehul Gorilla. Unpredictable. If it is their day, it is their day. Both have won Grandprix tournaments in rather grand style. It is how they win their tournaments. They don’t win their tournaments soft soft. They make statements when they win. But this is at the expense of consistency. Their playing style (each has a different but equally unique approach to the game) whilst dangerous for any of the four favourites is riddled with a healthy dose of over-reach.

It will really depend on what sort of start they have. If either Njoroge or Gorilla start of with a 3.5/4 or 4/4….ooooh…then they will start smelling blood big time and will morph into proper and extremely dangerous and big-fanged chess beasts. But if they don’t, they will most likely self-implode under the weight of their own flamboyance and over-reach.

To this group that has slight chances of winning the 2025 National Championship I will add Dr. Brian Irungu. The Doctor is likely to have the best opening preparation in the field. He is truly a theory-hound. Also, he has a sharp and cutting edge style of play. He can make a position explode like an atomic bomb. Add to this, he has a BURNING AMBITION to become the best in Kenya. It is an explosive cocktail that could take him to triumph come Dec 31 2025.

THE SUICIDE BOMBERS

The rest are really there to spoil it for the others. Yes, they have slight of slightest chances. But it is a long shot, if the Animal Farm Law is to be obeyed. Over the course of a game or two or three or even four, they may excel and finish off anyone. But can they maintain such stellar performance over 10 rounds? I don’t know. I don’t think so.

A quick look at their positives:

Felix Boera: Good at tactical defence. Nothing to lose. Will try and hang in their and mess someone.

Kyle Kuka: Not bad at calculation at all. If things get sharp, he can cut through a position like a hot knife through butter.

Ken Omollo: Experience, former champion, strong nerves, subversive style of play, strong positional instincts.

Lenny Mataiga: Good at spotting tactical shots, aggressive, can prepare openings in-depth.

At the end of it, whoever wins, that will truly be the Kenyan Champion.

The unofficial poster for the 2025 Kenya National Chess Championship. Gorilla Fart — The unofficial poster for the 2025 Kenya National Chess Championship. Design work by Kim Bhari thanks to ChatGPT.

About Mehul Gohil

Mehul Gohil is the a three times Kenya National Chess Champion (2014, 2019 & 2022. He has won several major events in the country including the 66th Nairobi Chess Club Championship.