40 players have qualified for the second phase of the All Africa games qualifiers after last weekend’s national chess championships at Parklands Sports Club.
The 40; 20 women and an equal number of men will battle it out in the second round to be held from February 1-3 over six rounds. The third and final round will be held on March 8th to 10th over 11 rounds in a single round robin format for both sections.
Chess Kenya president Bernard Wanjala said the reigning national champion, as well as the two top active players in the January 1st rating list and the top junior, will proceed directly to the final phase.
The chief arbiter will arrange the pairings such that players of the same club cannot meet in the last three (3) rounds of the final phase.
Benjamin Magana of KCB Chess Club and Joyce Nyaruai of Technical University of Kenya (TUK) will be seeking to defend their titles at the five-day national chess championships which start on Jamhuri Day at Parklands Sports Club.
In the men section, new men's champion Victor Ngani, Chege Kairu, Joseph Methu and Benjamin Magana, have also been given a pass to the final phase.