Master of the board Allan Oyende emerged victorious at the Masters Series Scrabble event held over the weekend at the Stima Club, Nairobi.
Returning to competition after a three-month sabbatical, which he described as a ‘mental break’, the Grand Master edged out top players in what he termed as a key warm-up ahead of the East, Central and Southern Africa Scrabble Championships set for the Easter holidays in Lusaka, Zambia.
Over the weekend, Oyende led a competitive field in a 28-game format—one more than the 27 games scheduled for ECASA, which will run from April 5 to 7.
“I was on a mental break for about three months without playing, but I have come back ahead of ECASA in the next two weeks. This was a warm-up after I resumed play earlier this month during the Murang’a event. The Masters was my final preparation,” said Oyende.
Oyende won the title by edging out Willy Mwangi, Richard Okechi, Manase Otieno and Gitonga Nderitu for top five positions.
Having anchored the national team, Word Warriors, to retain the ECASA title last year, Oyende remains confident of another strong showing.
“There is no other warm-up tournament locally. The 28 games played over three days are enough to prepare us for Lusaka. I won eight games on day one, five out of ten on day two, and all my matches on the final day to clinch the title,” he added.
To qualify for the Masters Series, players must have a rating of 1,500 and above. Kenya has selected 25 players for ECASA, which begins on April 5.
However, Oyende noted logistical challenges affecting the team’s travel plans.
“Since we have not secured government sponsorship, some players may travel by road while others will fly. At the same time, some may miss the trip to Lusaka due to other tournaments scheduled in the Netherlands in May,” he said.
Final Leader board
- Allan Oyende
- Willy Mwangi,
- Richard Okechi
- Manase Otieno
- Gitonga Nderitu
- Bernard Amuke
- Michael Gongolo
- Bernard Koyyoko
- Philip Mutinda
- Stanley Njoroge