Martin Njoroge crowned Nairobi Open Chess champion

Martin Njoroge is the new Nairobi County Open Chess Championship master.

The former national chess champion reclaimed his lost glory on the board after defeating defending champion Ben Magana to be crowned the new champion at the KCB Leadership Centre in Karen.

The high-stakes tournament featured an intense 8-round contest over three days, drawing some of the best talents in Kenya, Uganda, India, Ukraine, Germany, Zambia and South Sudan.

Njoroge and Magana, both seasoned masters and teammates at the KCB Chess Club, displayed tactical depth to advance to the final round.

Their head-to-head match was the most anticipated game of the tournament, with Njoroge ultimately outwitting Magana to lift the title.

“I went all out today. I have been training hard and staying focused, and I am thrilled it paid off. Facing Ben is always a great challenge, he pushes you to the edge of your limits.” Njoroge said.

Other notable recognitions went to Philip Singe, who bagged the Best Veteran award, and Hawi Kaloki, who emerged as the best Junior player of the tournament.

In the teams’ category, the KCB Chess Team once again proved its supremacy on the corporate chess scene, emerging as the top-ranked corporate team in the competition.

This marks their third consecutive team title this year, following earlier triumphs at the Kisumu Open in May and the Kiambu Open later the same month.

The team’s overall performance was based on the cumulative points scored by individual players, including Martin Njoroge, Robert McLigeyo, Joyce Nyaruai, Philip Singe, Brian Irungu, Ian Mutuge, Joseph Methu, Ricky Sang, Ben Magana, Hawi Kaloki and Hugh Musiko, all of whom delivered strong performances throughout the tournament.

“Our focus this year is to win the league. We have missed it out in the last two seasons, but I believe that the current talent pool and the hard work we are putting into the team are enough to reclaim the championship.” Njoroge added.

The team will be back in action on the June 28th for the Kenya Chess Premier League action against Equity and Nacha Chess Clubs.