Chess: Teen Mcligeyo makes national squad, Methu out
Robert Mcligeyo ponders his next move during the third round of the 2022 Kenya National Chess Championship at Charter Hall, Nairobi on December 27, 2022.
What you need to know:
- In the Ladies Section, Nicole and Ingado are the new players who made the squad. Nicole, who has been unsuccessful in several attempts, finished third with 6.5 points.
- Ingado, who is the immediate National Youth U18 champion, also amassed 6.5 points, but with an inferior tie-breaker.
Teenage chess sensation Robert Mcligeyo has for the second year running made the national team as the top player.
The final phase of the national team selection concluded at the weekend at KCB Sports Club in Nairobi, with Mcligeyo, 18, topping the Open Section with an impressive eight points from 11 rounds.
Reigning women’s national champion and Woman Fide Master (WFM), Sasha Mongeli led in the Ladies Section with 7.5 points from the same number of rounds.
In both categories, 11 top local players battled for the top five national team slots. The national team players represent the country in all international assignments lined up for the year, including the prestigious Chess Olympiad. The 45th Chess Olympiad will be held in Budapest, Hungary from September 10 to 23.
Apart from Mcligeyo (2041), the other players who competed in the Open Section included reigning Kenya National Chess Champion (KNCC) Joseph Methu (1990), former champions Martin Njoroge (1896), Mehul Gohil (2020) and Victor Ngani (1939), top seed Kenneth Omolo (2066), Ian Matuge (1782), Matthew Kamau (1939), Elvis Likoko (1875), Lenny Mataiga ( 1847) and Kinoti Mutuma (1540).
The Ladies Section had Mongeli (1763), former national champion and Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Joyce Nyaruai (1797), 2021 World Women’s Amateur Chess Champion Under -1700 Glenda Madelta (1522), Jully Mutisya (1560), Nicole Albright (1431), Mercy Ingado (1292), Ether Karanja (1354), Wanjiru Kimani (1403), Elizabeth Kassidy (1436), Zuri Kaloki (1285) and Yvonne Adego (1160).
Save for Mcligeyo, Methu, Mongeli, and Nyaruai, the rest of the players went through the first and second-phase qualifiers.
To top in the Open Section, Mcligeyo who has set his sights on being a Grandmaster by the age of 25, won five rounds and drew four times. He was held by Kamau, Likoko, Methu and Matuge.
“I am happy with the way it went because initially, I had not planned to play since I’m focusing on next month’s African Games in Ghana. It was tougher than last year,” said Mcligeyo, who in February 2023 made history by becoming Kenya’s youngest chess top seed.
He topped the 2022 final phase of the national team selection with 8.5 points.
“Because I will not be joining school until September, I have a lot of time to train and play international tournaments,” he added.
Shockingly, reigning national champion Methu failed to make the national team after finishing sixth with 5.5. It was a repeat of last year when then-champion Gohil failed to make it to the national team.
Underdog Mutuge stole the show when he stunned the big guns to finish third and make the national team for the first time.
In the Ladies Section, Nicole and Ingado are the new players who made the squad. Nicole, who has been unsuccessful in several attempts, finished third with 6.5 points.
Ingado, who is the immediate National Youth U18 champion, also amassed 6.5 points, but with an inferior tie-breaker.
2024 Kenya National Chess team players
Men
1. Robert Mcligeyo
2. Martin Njoroge
3. Ian Mutuge
4. Matthew Kamau
5. Elvis Likoko
Ladies
1. Sasha Mongeli
2. Jully Mutisya
3. Albright Nicole
4. Mercy Ingado
5. Joyce Nyaruai
