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The federation has been conducting the Chess in Schools programme for the last five years and the response is promising.
Chess Kenya president Bernard Wanjala is keen on nurturing younger talent in schools in order to ensure the continuity of the sport.
In the recent past, schools have been registering for Chess tournaments and Wanjala is impressed with the direction the sport is taking.
Wanjala feels that for the sport to grow, a lot of investment needs to go into junior programmes. He, therefore, wants to give a chance to the young players to play with the Grand Masters and gain confidence. Unfortunately, there are no Grand Masters in Kenya at the moment.
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08:20 - 06.04.2023
CHESS The Kenya Open Chess Championship attracts players from 24 nations
The event is set to run from Thursday, April 6 to 10 at the Sarit Expo Center.
“Chess is a growing sport and we are not yet there. We want to invest more in the junior programmes and I’m looking forward to the First International Master. It’s always said that you must have a broader pyramid so that from there, the champions emerge,” he said, as quoted by KTN Sport.
Wanjala added that the federation has been conducting the Chess in Schools programme for the last five years and the response is promising.
Chess Kenya will liaise with teachers to spot promising youngsters whose talent is exceptional and nurture them ahead of international events like the Africa Youth Championships among others.
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17:02 - 15.04.2023
SPORTS GIST Kenyan male chess star wears hijab to compete as woman against Uganda's Shakira Ampaire
A male Kenyan chess star dressed as a woman eliminated Uganda's highly rated chess player Shakira Ampaire in the women's division at the Kenya Chess Open, thus raising suspicion.
He also revealed that going forward, he wants to ensure the youngsters are exposed to playing internationally with high-level players to hone their skills.
“The biggest priority at the moment is to ensure our players are exposed and they get to learn from other quality players,” he said.
Wanjala noted that the federation will also be keen to host international events to attract players from abroad so they can give an opportunity to local stars to compete with some of the finest.
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16:58 - 07.04.2023
CHESS Ugandan chess star Haruna Nsubuga seeks backing to reach global stage
Nsubuga needs to raise $14000 (sh52m) to fund his trip and compete against the world's best chess players at the Chess World Cup in Azerbaijan.
Wanjala's team are just from hosting the 2023 Kenya Open Chess Championships and also hosted last year’s 2022 Africa Amateurs Chess Championships.
“We pull the largest crowds in the number of participants and I’m glad the sport is growing fast. We have the responsibility to ensure that we expose players to high-level playing. We want to be the best in the country and eventually maybe in the world,” he said.
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