The Equity Chess Club has successfully defended its best Corporate Team title at the Mombasa Chess Derby held during the Huduma holiday weekend.
Equity’s Matthew Kanegeni emerged 2nd runner up overall with 6 out of 7 points. He lost to Fide Master Haruna Nasubuga of Uganda who emerged the overall winner at the tournament with no lost games.
Team Equity won the Corporate Category with 26 points ahead of the KCB teams with 24.5 points and Jomo Kenyatta University next up the institutional participants.
The Equity team Captain Njagi Kabugu lauded the team for remaining persistent saying, “It has not been an easy tournament, but the team fought hard and emerged victorious. We’ve also picked important lessons that we will improve especially on the individual categories.”
Equity Chess Team Manager Bernard Wanjala also applauded the team for a good performance at the event noting that this is the third time the team is clinching the title.
Event organizer Paul Ombui of Mombasa Chess Club thanked the teams for making the event successful and called on participants to continue protecting themselves against COVID-19. He said, “As you are aware, COVID-19 is no joke. We need to protect each other as a players and also look out for the Chess Family.”
The Mombasa Chess derby had taken a hiatus in 2020 following restrictions by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the tournament resumed this year. The games were held under strict COVID-19 health protocols with over 250 participants from 5 different countries competing in the open, ladies and juniors sections at the international fete.