Alliance Girls High School demonstrates prowess at national youth chess championships in Mombasa

FILE: Chief Justice Martha Koome plays chess with Rose Wakiuru moments after the CJ mentored students of the Alliance Girls High School on Saturday [photo courtesy/Standard]

Alliance Girls High School dominated the Kenya National Youth Chess Championship that enter into day three Monday at the Khadija Secondary School in Mombasa County.

The championships that started on Saturday have attracted 1,500 players drawn from 195 institutions countywide.

Ivy Nyambura of Alliance Girls High School demonstrated her prowess in chess to take lead in the girls under 18 category with three points after the first to the fourth tie-breaks.

Trizer Machio from St Monicah Girls School Kitale was behind Nyambura also with three points.

 Gosrani Naiya of Peponi School and Saran Mukhwana from Chwele Girls School also had three points.

 In girls under 12, Nipul Shah floored Laura Mitei 1-0 while Fantalis Nduta won with the same margin over Leah Achieng. Abigail Nafula defeated Lilian Sybil 1-0 in another match.

In boys under 18, Shah Bhaveshu from Peponi School took the lead with three points after the fourth tie-break with St Patrick Iten's Gideon Gekonge coming second with three same as Shadrack Gitonga from Eastlands Junior Chess Club, Nairobi who had three points to settle for the third slot.

In the boys under 16, Johnpaul Getange made beautiful moves with a lot of creativity in his attacks to beat Jason Jones 1-0 while Jason Otula perfected his skills to silence Jeremiah Odhiambo 1-0 in another match.

 The championships continue today at the same venue with the finals expected to be played on Wednesday.

Kenya Chess Secretary in charge of Gender and Special Needs Rodah Etole said they will select players to represent Kenya at the Africa Youth Chess Championship in June in Zambia.

"We shall announce a team of 36 junior players to form the national team after the conclusion of the Mombasa event on Wednesday," said Etole.

She said the six players named during the Africa Individual Schools Chess Championship in Nairobi last December are also preparing for the World Individual Schools Championship to be held in Panama in June.

 "Our calendar of events for 2022 is busy with both local and international tournaments," said Etole.