Alliance Girls is the team to beat as youth event resumes today

Youths compete in the national youth chess championships at the Khadija Primary school with more than 1,500 youths taking part. [photo courtesy]

The Kenya National Youth Chess Championship that took a break yesterday resumes today with Alliance Girls High School in the driving seat.

The championship that started on Saturday with 1,500 players drawn from 195 institutions resumes at the Khadija Secondary School in Mombasa County before concluding tomorrow with the naming of the national youth teams.

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 points 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 beat Jason Jones 1-0 while Jason Otula saw off Jeremiah Odhiambo 1-0 in another match.

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.