Chess: KCB goes top after victories at coastal leg

Photo [Courtesy]

Candidate Master Bob Mugana inspired KCB Bank Chess Club to four wins in Mombasa helping his club go top of the 2019 Kenya Premier Chess League.

The bankers won 5-0 against Stima Chess Club, Strathmore University, Mombasa Chess Club before edging out Bank of Africa 4.5-0.5 to leapfrog Anchor Chess Club who didn’t play this weekend.

Mugana, also the club captain, said he is happy with the team’s performance and maintaining a hundred percent win record this season.

“We played well this weekend and winning all of our ten games so far is a sign that this year we want to go for the top prize. Now we have to be calm and focus on the next games,” Mugana said.

KCB are top of the table with 30 points after winning all their ten matches.

However, Mugana said they are wary of champions Equity Bank, who are second with 27 points and a game in hand

“The defending champions are our main threat to our goal this season and the team should be careful since they are also on a good run,” he said.

Equity Bank, on the other hand, continued their title defence by making it nine wins in a row winning their games against Stima, Mombasa and Strathmore.

The defending champions dropped one and point against Mombasa and a half point against Strathmore in their 4-1 and 4.5-0.5 wins respectively before blanking Stima 5-0.

Equity captain John Mukabi was happy with the win and said their main objective is to extend their winning streak.

“We are in good form right now. We have to keep winning till we reclaim top spot,” he said.

Equity are second in the standings with 27 points as Deadly Bishops moved upto third with 24 points after losing two of their ten matches with Anchor Chess Club closing top four with 21 points.