Chess is one of the oldest and most popular board games in the world. It’s a game of strategy and is played by two opponents. One player has white pieces while the other has black pieces. The white, or lighter-coloured pieces, always play first. In Kenya, chess has been a major event since the 1950s. Kenya has multiple local and international tournaments for adults and under 18 players. In 2024, the regional Kenya National Youth Chess Championship (KNYCC) and the Kenya National Universities and Colleges Championship (KNUCC) took place in March. The KNYCC 2024 finals are set to take place in April.
Here are some of the best chess champions under 18 who have represented Kenya in chess tournaments.
Kenyan Under 18 Chess Players
1. Ethan Kariuki
Ethan’s journey to playing chess started in grade 3, when his class teacher at Makini School, Mrs. Judy suggested that the game would be great for 12-year-old Ethan to improve his focus. Mrs. Judy could see that Ethan’s academic performance was only hindered by his lack of concentration. However, Ethan was keener to focus on football, convinced it was his only way to explore his passion. In July 2022, the school’s football pitch needed renovations and Ethan eventually gave a chance to chess. He participated in his first tournament in Eldoret and scored 5 points after two competitions. In 2024, he joined the Maven’s Chess Club where he is mentored by Coach Tom.
Ethan finished as the first runner-up in the National Chess Championships held in Kisii for boys under 12. He was also the best overall player in the inaugural Junior Chess League. He participated in his first international competition in Egypt at the Africa Junior Chess Championship in 2023. But most importantly, after becoming a chess player, his grades improved remarkably.
2. Yvonne Adego Mwashe
Yvonne Adego Mwashe [taifaleo.com]Yvonne, 13, started playing chess at 4 years old after being introduced by her father Dr. Mwashe. She’s a Grade 8 student at Light International, Mombasa. Her mother, Judith Kiragu, is one of her biggest cheerleaders. Her mother told Taifa Leo that Judith gravitated towards drawing and signing, but still had a massive talent for chess. By the time she joined the school, she was already a chess pro. Yvonne finished second in the 2023 National Youth Chess Championship and is the current reigning U17 national champion. She’s also a member of her school’s drama club.
3. Elsie Kamoni
Elsie Kamoni [chessctc.org]Elsie is a prodigious chess player who started playing chess at 5 years old. Her twin brothers were participating in the 2019 National Youth Chess Championship. Witnessing a chess tournament firsthand was the first step in winning the gold in the U7 girls Africa Chess Championship. Elsie has also represented Kenya as the Africa Youth Chess Champion after joining the Membley Titans Chess Club, So dedicated was she that she took a sabbatical from school to get hands-on chess training in 2021. At just 9 years old Elsie has already represented Africa at the 2022 U8 Girls World Chess Championship and won the U7 Girls Kiambu Region for the Kenya National Youth and Cadets Chess Championship. She’s currently among the top ten U9 girl players in the country. She’s also the Africa Ambassador of Chess Through Challenges. Elsie’s mission is to support underprivileged children interested in chess.
4. Bernice Gikandi
Bernice Gikandi wins check clock from MiniChess Kenya’s Githinji Hinga [kenyachessmasala.com]Bernice, 12, is a member of the Lighthouse Chess Club. She is a student at St Peters’ School in Juja, Kiambu. In 2021, Bernice was the winner of the Fair Play award and the Woman Candidate Master Elect in Africa Individual Schools Chess Championship. Bernice got into chess when she was in grade 1. She saw people playing it and decided she’d like to try it. She started by joining a chess club at her school but everyone was too young. After some research, Bernice joined a more age-appropriate chess club. She’s represented Kenya and Africa in global competitions and hopes to become a grandmaster one day.
5. Elizabeth Cassidy Maina
Elizabeth Cassidy trains with her father [DW.com]Elizabeth started playing in early 2019 while in Kitale school. She told DW, she started playing chess after she saw her father playing and found out it was available at her school. In 2020, the now 12-year-old won the U18 girls’ category in the East African Online Youth Chess Championships. Elizabeth’s father, Peter Maina, supports her dream to become a chess grandmaster but he believes that she has surpassed him. In 2022, Elizabeth won the U12 Kenya National Youth Championship and was the bronze medallist for the U17 African Amateurs Open which shows that chess has no age limits for success.
6. Nathaniel Manyeki
Nathaniel Manyeki wins 2nd runner-up SOYA awards [kenyachessmasala.com]At just 8 years old, Nathaniel was the youngest ever nominee for the Kenya Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) awards. In 2023, he was second runner-up in the Most Promising Personality of the Year. He attends Brookside Preparatory School. Nathaniel got into chess through his father in 2021. He is part of the Business Meets Chess and Kids program which is a non-profit that connects investors with young chess players. The goal of the organization is to help young chess players gain access to competitive chess. He is also part of the Mavens Chess Club, one of the ways he ensures to remain sharp. Nathaniel believes that one of the most effective ways to train is to play against more experienced players.
Nathaniel’s biggest supporters are his parents, Erick Muchoki and Phelister Atieno, and his grandmother, Margaret Muchoki. He dreams of meeting Norwegian grandmaster, and current world no. 1, Magnus Carlsen. He is set to join the U8/10/12 World Cup in Georgia, and the African Schools Individual Competition.
7. Hawi Kaloki
Hawi Kaloki at the 2023 U16 World Youth Chess Olympiad [facebook.com]16-year-old Hawi Kaloki is another Brookside Preparatory student. In his spare time, Hawi accumulates an impressive collection of medals and accolades. In 2023, Hawi was awarded the outstanding Pearson Learner Award, given to international school students who have earned top results in the Pearson exams. He’s also won awards in debate, writing, and social studies. He’s the reigning U16 National Chess Champion, has represented Kenya in the World U16 Olympiads in Eindhoven, and was the first runner-up in the U15 Kenya Opens in 2023. Hawi’s role model is American chess grandmaster Sam Shankland who also started winning at a young age. He credits his parents and teachers for all the support and guidance they offer him. Hawi dreams of becoming an astrophysicist.
8. Winnie Kaburo Muchoki
Winnie Kaburi wins gold for the U8 Girls’ Category at the 2022 Africa Youth Chess Championship [kenyachessmasala.com]Winnie was the only East African player to grab gold in the 2022 Africa Youth Chess Championships. At 9 years old, the Plainview Academy student already has the makings of a master. In 2023, she became the youngest Kenyan to receive the Woman Candidate Master title. She’s also part of the Cross-Cultural Girls’ Club which brings promotes and trains young girls in chess.
9. Riya Shah
Riya Shah at the 2015 Kenya National Chess Championship [kenyachessmasala.com]Riya is one of Kenya’s most prolific chess players. In 2015, she won the U10 National Chess Championship. At that time, she was in Year 3 at Aga Khan Academy. Riya was inspired by her sister, Rivani, who was the national U14 champion. She also represented the country in the U8 World Youth Chess Championship held in Vietnam. But Riya is also talented in swimming, piano, and football. She looks up to Bobby Fischer. In 2016, Riya published a chess instructional for children in underprivileged schools. Riya is currently pursuing a career as a copywriter.
10. Peniel Weru
Peniel Weru after finishing KCSE [standardmedia.co.ke]Peniel Weru is a star achiever in Kenya’s chess U18 history. He won the National Juniors Championship and a year later scored an A in KCSE. Peniel passed his exams while preparing to go for a tournament in Greece. His parents, especially his father Watson Weru, supported his chess dreams from primary school. By the time he was 18, he’d earned 35 trophies and 10 medals, earning his first trophy when he was five. He’s currently an actuarial trainee.
11. Abel Taji
Abel Taji plays against Simba Arati [Kenyachessmasala]The reigning U12 champion began his remarkable chess journey at the tender age of 6. While a student at Seedlings Junior School, he discovered his passion for chess. Abel has dominated local championships like the 2019 U8 Boys Kenya National Youth and Cadets Chess Championship. He also won the U10 2021 KNYCCC. He won the championship in 2023, and he also played against Kisii County governor Simba Arati. But things aren’t so straightforward, even for an indomitable champion. In 2023, he couldn’t travel to Greece for the World School Chess Championship due to a lack of sponsorship. Abel gets the most of his support from his family, coaches, school and the Kenya Chess Federation.
12. Jeshurun Oluchiri
Jeshurun Oluchiri [left] plays against Christian Mwamba on a Mt Kenya tournament [Kenyachessmasala]Jeshurun Oluchiri is the second-highest-ranked U12 player in Kisii County. The 11-year-old is a member of Sportsview Talent Academy. Not only is Jeshurun a great chess player, he’s also a mental health advocate. In February 2024, he was part of a team that hiked to Shipton Camp, Mount Kenya to participate in a lucrative chess tournament to raise mental health awareness. Jeshurun has accrued medals and wins, including the 2022 U10 Junior Chess Tournament in Kisumu.
13. Christian Mwamba
Christian Mwamba on a hike [Citizen Digital]Another Sportsview Talent Academy member, Christian is a two-time national champion. Christian. In 2022, he came out on top of national individual chess tournaments. After that, he automatically qualified to represent Team Kenya in the Africa Individual Schools Championships. He’s one of the best junior chess players in the country and never imagined that becoming his fate when his uncle introduced him to chess. Christian is also an ambassador for Mindful Kenya’s Mindful for Schools, an organisation that helps children get access to mental health screening and treatment.
Gloria Mari is a culture writer based in Nairobi, Kenya. She writes on art, film, literature, health, and the environment. She has previously written for Kenya Buzz, People Daily, The Elephant, and Kalahari Review.
