Candidate Masters (CM) Ben Magana won the Open section of the Chess Kenya National championships will lead Kenya at the 2022 World Chess Olympiad Championships that will be held in Moscow, Russia between July 26th and August 8th.
Magana garnered 7.5 points followed by former Chess Kenya president Githinji Hinga with seven points and Robert Mcligeyo managed 5.5 points to complete the podium.
They will be joined by Martin Njoroge, Ben Namale Nguku, and Oluka Robert Mcligeyo
The women Candidate Master (WCM) Joyce Nyaruai won the ladies section to book for the ticket beating Women Fide master (WFM) Sasha Mongeli to second.
To fill the remaining slots, in women, Madelta Glenda, Jully Mutisya, Albright Nicole and Cynthia Awino will end into the play-offs round robin ton determnine who joins Nyaruai and Mongeli.
Chess Kenya chairman Bernard Wanjala said that the single round robin event of 11 rounds played under the FIDE Tournament Rules & Regulations under a time control of 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move one.
“ In the ladies section, we ended dramatically when WCM Ndirangu Joyce Nyaruai and WFM Mongeli Sasha qualified directly leaving four players tied up in third place. Since there was a tie from position 3 – 6 a playoff of was organized according to Rule 3.2 of the Tournament Regulations “Tie-break for top five position {Open and Ladies Sections} will be two (2) tie-break games between the tied they are more than two; a single round robin system will be used between the tied players with a time control of 15 mins + 10 sec. increment,” said Wanjala.
He added that Madelta Glenda and Mutisya both qualified leaving Nicole and Cynthia tied up with each one point.
“Since there was a tie between position 3 – 4 a playoff of was organized according to Rule 3.21 of the Tournament Regulations. If there is still a tie, a match of 2 games shall be played between the tied players, a single round robin may be used if tied players are more than two with a time control of 5 mins + 3 sec increment,” he added.
“The trio tied up again, as a result, Rule 3.22 “If there is still a tie, sudden death game will be played with the player with the white pieces receiving 5 minutes, the player with the black pieces shall receive 4 minutes. The winner in the sudden death game will qualify to the team” came into effect. Cynthia won the match,” he explained.