Kenyan chess prodigy keen to impress in global tourney
Naiya Gorsani in a previous chess competition. She is the only Kenyan who has qualified for the inaugural Online World Cadets and Youth Rapid Chess Championship.
What you need to know:
- Gorsani, 15, qualified for the global competition by finishing third out of 15 contestants in the Under-16 category of the Africa qualifiers that ended on November 30
- While Kenya had fielded a girl and a boy from the Under-10 to Under-16 categories, only Gorsani who plays for Nairobi Chess Club and rated 1331 overcame the stiff challenge from her opponents to advance to the next level
Being the only Kenyan who qualified for the Online World Cadets and Youth Rapid Chess Championships, Naiya Gorsani has promised to fly high the country’s flag in the competition.
Gorsani, 15, qualified for the global competition by finishing third out of 15 contestants in the Under-16 category of the Africa qualifiers that ended on November 30.
America is the other continent that has completed their qualifiers, while Europe and Asia are the regions that are remaining, before the competition enters the global stage from December 19 to 23.
While Kenya had fielded a girl and a boy from the Under-10 to Under-16 categories, only Gorsani who plays for Nairobi Chess Club and rated 1331 overcame the stiff challenge from her opponents to advance to the next level.
Out of the seven rounds of the qualifiers, she won five and lost two to emerge third in the Under-16 category on 5 points.
Moroccan and Woman Fide Master Makhlouf Ahlam (1419) finished top on six points, ahead of Botswana’s and Woman Candidate Master Gabatshwarwe Refilwe (1750) on 5.5 points.
“I lost the first round because I was constrained by time after experiencing internet issues. I gained my confidence from round two and proceeded to win my games. I look forward to posting a great performance as I plan on working on my weakness before the finals,” said Gorsani who also featured for Kenya in the 2020 online Olympiad in July.
Antony Kionga, who captained the Kenyan team in the competition, tipped Gorsani to perform well at the global round of the competition.
“I am positive she is going to perform better at thefFinals given that the time control will be better than the one used at the selection stage,” he said.
