Youth make Kenya proud at chess championship

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Kenyan youths are on their way to continental glory if their performance at the ongoing fourth round of the Africa Youth Chess Championship is anything to go by.

Timothy Mwabu, Tracy Mboya, Dev Shah, Jeff Gichuki, Samuel Wanjala and Sanjay Ramesh are leading Kenya’s chase in the week long competition that has attracted 174 participants from 13 countries namely Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Other participating countries include Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Cameroon, and Somalia. North Africa is represented by Egypt and Algeria.

In the U16 and U18 combined category, Kenya’s Parikh Pranjal will play against South Africa’s WCM (Woman candidate master) Marais Nina.

Parikh has two points after edging out Kenya’s Wangechi Patience and Namibia’s Campbell Penny.

“The championship is very tight, we have to give our best by staying focused,” said Parikh.

Sibling’s Shah Janvi and janki are also starring, as they are leading their category.

The U10 boy’s category is being dominated by Kenyans with Wanjala Samuel and Shah Vyom currently in second and fourth respectively.

Shah Devashri finished fourth in the U10 category, with the rest of the team consisting of Kenya Patel Pratik and Makini’s Elaine Moturi

In the U16 boys Kenya’s Mwangi Malik has a score of 1.5/3 and will face Xavier Hatman.

Tracy Njoki is third after the fourth round after edging out Kenya’s Sarah Naomi, Zimbabwe’s Madamombe Anotida and Uganda’s Joyce Mary.