Daniel Gong wins New Zealand Championship
FM Daniel Gong is a new champion of New Zealand. The youngster from Auckland won his maiden national title just a few days before his 19th birthday. The New Zealand Championship (dating back to 1879!), a nine-round Swiss tournament, took place in Christchurch on the South Island and brought together 24 players. The future champion got off to a flying start winning four straight games but faced very dangerous opponents – seven times NZ champion IM Russell Dive and the defending champion FM Nicolas Croad – in Rounds 5 and 6. Daniel rose to the occasion and ground down both rivals in long endgames to grab a commanding lead. Gong made three draws in the end to finish on 7½/9, a half-point ahead of another youngster CM Felix Xie (pictured above), who claimed silver. Fourteen-time NZ champion IM Anthony Ker and FM Nicolas Croad scored 6 points each and tied for third place. The bronze goes to Ker, who has a slightly better Buchholz. Final standings: 1 FM Gong, Daniel Hanwen 2352 7½ 2 CM Xie, Felix 2301 7 3 IM Ker, Anthony F 2441 6 4 FM Croad, Nicolas 2449 6 5 IM Dive, Russell J 2388 5½ 6 McNabb, Matthew D 2231 5½ 7 Sole, Michael D 2004 5 8 FM Lukey, Stephen G 2353 5 9 CM Rains, Edward 2178 5 10 Winter, Ryan 2186 5 The Junior NZ Championship run concurrently with the Major Open. The winners in five age groups are: U8 Leo Yitao Lian U10 Justin Zhide Wang U12 Emily Gan, William Rui Liu, and Ryan Hwang U14 Isabelle Yixuan Ning U16 Ollie Archer 2022 NZ joint junior champions – Ollie Archer and Gavith Dharmasena Girl Champion – Isabelle Yixuan Ning The NZ Championship also includes rapid and blitz events scheduled for January 11 and 12. Official website: newzealandchess.co.nz/ Photo: NZ Chess Federation Facebook page
Decisions of 2021 FIDE General Assembly
28 December 2021 FIDE General Assembly Decisions GA-2021/1 To note the Constitutional Commission report. GA-2021/2 To approve the proposal of Mr. Rivello not to elect three Scrutineers. GA-2021/3 To approve the Report of the FIDE Treasurer. GA-2021/4 To approve the Verification Commission’s report. GA-2021/5 To appoint Ernst & Young as External Auditor for an annual audit of FIDE accounts for 2021. GA-2021/6 To discharge the Treasurer from the responsibilities for the financial year 2020. GA-2021/7 To approve 2022 Budget. GA-2021/8 To approve the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chess Federation as a new member-federation of FIDE. GA-2021/9 To approve the Niger Chess Federation as a new member-federation of FIDE. GA-2021/10 To approve the Dominica Chess Federation as a new member-federation of FIDE. GA-2021/11 To approve the Belize Chess Federation as a new member-federation of FIDE. GA-2021/12 To note the letter of the Ukrainian Chess Federation regarding rapid & blitz ratings of Mr. Ihor Kobylianskyi (FIDE ID 14106329) and Mr. Iuri Shkuro (FIDE ID 14108836) and to support FIDE Council decision regarding this matter dated December 27 2021. GA-2021/13 Not to approve Papua New Guinea Chess Federation’s proposals regarding Associate Member Federations and regarding FIDE Charter amendment (Article 9.4). GA-2021/14 To approve the FIDE Electoral Rules. GA-2021/15 To approve the Ethics and Disciplinary Code. GA-2021/16 To approve the General Assembly Internal Rules. GA-2021/17 To note Continental reports. GA-2021/18 To approve the following FIDE Award: the title of the FIDE Honorary Member to Mr. Andrei Filatov, President of the Chess Federation of Russia. GA-2021/19 To approve amendments to the Laws of Chess regarding electronic scoresheets (effective from August 1, 2022). To grant the right to the FIDE Council to approve the necessary clarifications on this issue based on suggestions of the Rules Commission.
Decisions of 2021 4th FIDE Council Meeting
4th FIDE Council meeting 27 December 2021 List of decisions CM4-2021/01 To note President’s report. CM4-2021/02 To note financial report presented by FIDE Treasurer. CM4-2021/03 To note the Verification Commission’s report and recommend it for the approval by the General Assembly. CM4-2021/04 To recommend the budget 2022 for the approval by the General Assembly. CM4-2021/05 To approve Ernst & Young as FIDE External Auditor for 2022 and recommend it for General Assembly’s approval. CM4-2021/06 To support the draft of the Electoral Rules with the updated Article 22.8 and recommend it for the approval by the General Assembly. CM4-2021/07 To support the draft of the Ethics and Disciplinary Code and recommend it for the approval by the General Assembly. CM4-2021/08 To support the draft of the General Assembly Internal Rules and recommend them for the approval by the General Assembly. CM4-2021/09 To approve FIDE Congress Regulations. CM4-2021/10 To approve the Update of the Corporate Social Responsibility Guidelines by adding as Annex “FIDE Guidelines for Avoidance of the Conflict of Interest in Employment and Appointments”. CM4-2021/11 To approve that the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022 shall be organized in Madrid, Spain, 16 June – 7 July 2022. CM4-2021/12 To approve the unification of the FIDE Candidates Tournament tie-break regulations for open and women events, and to confirm that the play-off which will consist of rapid games will apply in the case of a tie for first place and to task the General Strategy Commission with finalization of the wording of the tie-break regulations for the FIDE Candidates’ Tournament 2022 not later than February 1, 2022. CM4-2021/13 To approve that the FIDE World Team Championship 2022 shall be organised in Jerusalem, Israel, April 2022. CM4-2021/14 To open bidding procedures for World Championship Match 2023 and Chess Olympiad 2026. CM4-2021/15 To extend bidding procedures for FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2022 and FIDE Women’s Grand-Prix series 2022 as no formal bids have been received. CM4-2021/16 To note the Global Strategy Commission’s report. CM4-2021/17 To note the Arbiters’ Commission’s report. CM4-2021/18 To approve the recommendations of the Arbiters’ Commission on Seminars, Classification upgrades, Amendments to the FIDE lecturer list, FA norms and titles. CM4-2021/19 To note the Events Commission’s report. CM4-2021/20 To approve the recommendations of the Events Commission on titles. CM4-2021/21 To note the Rules Commission’s report. CM4-2021/22 To support the Rules Commission’s proposal in respect of amendments to the Laws of Chess regarding electronic scoresheets (effective from August 1st, 2022) and to ask the General Assembly to grant the right to the FIDE Council to approve the necessary clarifications on this issue based on suggestions of the Rules Commission. CM4-2021/23 To approve the recommendations of the Qualification Commission on titles. CM4-2021/24 To approve the Technical Commission’s proposal in respect of electronic score sheets and request their coordination with the Rules Commission and the Arbiters’ Commission in elaborating of its practical implementations. CM4-2021/25 To approve the recommendations of the Trainers’ Commission on titles and Academies. CM4-2021/26 To note the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission’s report. CM4-2021/27 To note Continental reports. CM4-2021/28 To note the state of the play in federations of Peru, Ivory Coast and South Africa. CM4-2021/29 To further consult with Council Members on establishment of a separate Commission for Online Chess. CM4-2021/30 To approve proposal of the Jamaica Chess Federation to hold an annual tournament for Presidents of Chess Federations across the world and to make all necessary arrangements for a tournament in 2022. CM4-2021/31 To further study proposal of the Jamaica Chess Federation for national federations with official combined populations below 10 million, to be allowed to field a unified team (absolute and women) for each Chess Olympiad, beside their own separate teams. CM4-2021/32 To approve the Termsheet on electronic chess scoresheets to be signed by FIDE and Clono. CM4-2021/33 To award the title of Friend of FIDE to Mr. Thomas Thomsen (GER), and Mr. Abraham Tolentino (PHI). CM4-2021/34 To recommend to the General Assembly to award the title of the FIDE Honorary member to Mr. Andrei Filatov (RUS), President of the Chess Federation of Russia. CM4-2021/35 To approve the resolution regarding the rating of Mr. Kobylianskyi and Mr. Iuri Shkuro. CM4-2021/36 To recommend to the General Assembly the approval of the membership of the Dominica Chess Federation, Niger Chess Federation and St. Vincent and Grenadine Chess Federation with limitation of voting rights following the approval of the new FIDE Electoral Rules. CM4-2021/37 To recommend to the General Assembly not to approve the membership of the Belize Chess Federation for the time being due to the lack of required documentation. CM4-2021/38 To note the report on the state of the play with the US Virgin Islands Chess Federation and agree on a written procedure for the further decisions to be made.
Uruguayan Championship: Roselli wins third straight title
IM Bernardo Roselli won the XCII Final of the Uruguayan Chess Championship. The 11-player round robin (initially, there were twelve participants, but FM Nicolás López Azamubja withdrew right before the start) took place at the Ministry for Transport in the city of Montevideo in November-December of 2021. Playing for Club Banco República, the champion netted 7½ points out of 10 and scored his third consecutive victory in the event, reaching the record-breaking 20-national-titles mark. With this achievement, Roselli qualified for the Uruguayan national team to represent the country next July at the World Chess Olympiad in Russia. Young 17-year-old CM Facundo Vázquez Furtado, also representing Club Banco República, tied for the second place with MI Nahuel Diaz Hollemaert (both on 7/9) and earned silver thanks to the victory their direct encounter. Facundo fell just a half a point short of completing the IM norm, although, with this spectacular performance, he picked up the necessary rating points to obtain the FIDE Master title. Undoubtedly, he infused a fresh spirit into Uruguayan chess and sent a great message to other young players – dedication, determination and commitment work miracles. The bronze winner, IM Nahuel Diaz Hollemaert, had a bumpy start but scored a magnificent 6½/7 at the finish. The event, officiated by IA Dr. Jorge Bermúdez and Deputy Arbiter IA Guillermo Carvalho, was broadcast on chessbomb.com, chess.com, live.followchess.com and playchess.com. CM Dr. Jorge Arias Bouzada served as a tournament director. Final standings: 1 IM Roselli, Mailhe Bernardo 2428 7½ 2 CM Vazquez, Facundo 2163 7 3 IM Diaz, Hollemaert Nahuel 2441 7 4 IM Coppola, Claudio 2248 5½ 5 IM Rhodes, Luis Ernesto 2358 5 6 FM Larrea, Manuel 2222 4½ 7 NM Ulaneo, Nicolas 2164 4½ 8 FM Carbone, Diego 2236 4 9 GM Hoffman, Alexander 2440 3½ 10 NM Michailov, Matias 2262 3½ 11 FM Granara, Barretto Sebastian 2156 2 Text and photo: Matías Michailov
FIDE expands and extends Aid Package Program to 2022
Dear Member Federations, We are glad to inform you that FIDE has extended the application period for the Aid Package Program for Open Tournaments 2022 for a few more days, until Monday, January 10. Please see below the original announcement with conditions, requirements, and selection criteria. Following the success of the FIDE Open Tournaments support in 2021, FIDE will be expanding and extending Aid Package Program through 2022. This project will support seasoned professionals, aspiring youth, female players, veterans, representatives of all Continents. It will also help organisers of traditional events, who struggle to stage competitions in the Covid times. A total of €150,000 will be allocated by FIDE to support open tournaments all over the world in 2022. Each open tournament Organiser applying for the Aid Package shall accept the conditions and meet the requirements listed below. CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS An application for the Aid Package shall be sent to gsc@fide.com by 15 December 2021 The Aid Package cannot exceed 20% of the total budget and cannot exceed €15,000 At least 10% of the total prize fund shall be allocated for women’s prizes, and at least 5% of the total prize fund shall be allocated for veteran’s prizes FIDE may require the tournament to establish lower fees (or absence of fees) for the agreed categories of participants (veterans, youth, women, representatives of developing countries) Mention “Financially supported by FIDE” shall be visible on tournament’s media resources (e. g. webpage, social media pages) FIDE may require FIDE and its sponsors to be reasonably represented at the tournament The Organiser is requested to fill out the following form (see below). Application form for Aid Package (PDF) Application form for Aid Package (MS Word) SELECTION CRITERIA Events with the classical time control shall be prioritised Event’s history Event’s strength Geographical location Amount of the prize fund and its distribution Fair Play measures The list of the selected Opens shall be announced by 15 January 2022.
Youngsters skyrocket in January rapid and blitz rating lists
All eyes were on the World Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi in the last month of 2021, so there were no significant changes at the top aside from the two contestants. The only significant rating increase among the top-100 was achieved by young Russian GM Alexey Sarana (pictured below), who picked up 19 rating points following his victory in the final of the Russian Cup. Nikita Vitiugov (+5), Gawain Jones (+6) and Boris Gelfand (+6) became the top scores in England vs. ROW (a part of 2021 London Chess Classics) and netted some rating points. Photo: Anna Shtourman The most important event in women’s chess in terms of the rating changes was Poland – ROW match. Meri Arabidze (Georgia, pictured below), Iulija Osmak (Ukraine) and Anna Sargsyan (Armenia) gave the Polish players a hard test earning +19, +13 and +12 points, respectively. Photo: Mark Livshitz The end of the year was marked by the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz in Warsaw, Poland. The event took place after one-year hiatus and considerably shook up rapid and blitz rating lists. All four tournaments saw the onset of young players. Indeed, 17-year old Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the rapid championship in a spectacular fashion, picked up 78 rating points and mounted to 39th position in the rapid rating list. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz Young Gukesh D and Guha Mitrahba (both from India) earned an impressive 159 and 149 points, respectively, while Jorden Van Forrest improved his rating by 82 points. Shant Sargsyan finished 29th in the Rapid Championship, but his score translates into a 110-point increase. Kudos to Kirill Shevchenko (+65), Hans Niemann (+116) and Parham Maghsoodloo (+79). Bibisara Assaubayeva (pictured below) of Kazakhstan became a real revelation of the women’s events. Aged just 17, she took silver in the Rapid Championship (+27 points) and won the blitz tournament (+120 points). Her compatriot 19-year old Assel Serikbay finished 5th in the rapid event picking 122 points, while Vaishali Rameshbabu of India finished 14th (+73). Her countrywoman Vantika Agrawal made the biggest progress in the women’s rapid rating list chalking up 155 points. Polina Shuvalova (CFR) made her mark in the blitz championship, tying for third place and netting 49 rating points. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz Of course, it was not all about youngsters. Ian Nepomniachtchi (+23), Fabiano Caruana (+16), Vladimir Fedoseev (+17) and Ivan Cheparinov (+31) substantially increased their rapid rating following a good performance in the Rapid Championship. Alexandra Kosteniuk won the Women’s Rapid Championship (+28) but surprisingly, taking silver in the blitz event cost her 6 rating points. Maxim Vachier-Lagrave won his maiden World Blitz Championship title (+16), but from the blitz rating gains standpoint, some other results look much more impressive: Javokhir Sindarov (+177), Grigory Oparin (+105), the Chairman of FIDE Trainer’s Commission Mikhail Kobalia (+135), Alexander Donchenko (+116), Volodar Murzin (+106) and Vugar Asadli (+158) just to name a few.
Ghana Championship 2021: Adu-Poku and Felix claim titles
The finals of the Ghana National Chess Championship, two 10-player round-robin tournaments (Open and Ladies sections), were held over five days from December 26-30 at the Media Center of the Accra Sports Stadium. The lineup included the top 5 highest-rated players in both sections and the top 5 finishers in the qualifying stage that took place from November 12-14, 2021. Open Section Dr Kwabena Adu-Poku, also known as BN146, won the open category and his first national title in grand style, completing the event unbeaten. He finished the tournament with an impressive 7½ out of 9, a full point ahead of the favourite and the silver winner FM John Hasford whom he beat in the direct encounter. The young medical doctor is quite famous in Ghanaian chess circles thanks to his constant efforts to promote chess with his YouTube channel, which he runs with Bernard Anhwere (pictured below), who came in third in the championship. The tournament also saw a few major upsets as defending champion IM Francis Eric Anquandah and many-time member of the national team CM Jamena Joseph Mensah ended up in 7th and 10th positions, respectively. Both did not make it to the Ghana National Chess Team (The Golden Knights). Final standing open: 1 Adu-Poku, Kwabena 1925 7½ 2 FM Hasford, John Kojo 1990 6½ 3 Anhwere, Bernard 1847 5½ 4 Fomevor, Cephas Clinton 1750 5 5 CM Adu, Jnr Lionel 1829 5 6 Ameku, Philip Elikem 1881 4½ 7 IM Anquandah, Francis Eric 1965 4½ 8 Akpa, Prince 1655 2½ 9 Aduamah, David Kofi 1753 2 10 CM Mensah, Joseph Jamena 1932 2 Ladies Section WCM Tobi Abena Felix won the National Women’s Chess Championship for the fifth consecutive time and proved her dominance by scoring 8½/9 (making a draw in the final round). Maud Benson (pictured below) came in second with 7½ points after losing only to Tobi and drawing newcomer Tiwaa Abena Appau who finished 5th and qualified for the national team (The Golden Knights) Dzidzor Esi Dotse, the only player to hold Tobi to a draw, finished third with 6½/9. Final standings women: 1 Felix, Tobi 1448 8½ 2 Benson, Maud 1265 7½ 3 Dotse, Dzidzor Esi 1150 6½ 4 Ashley, Christiana Naa Merley 1219 6 5 Appau, Abena Tiwaa 5 6 Addo, Pearl 4 7 Majid-Michel, Lady Rowena 1062 3 8 Hephzibah, Awura-Ama Manubea 2½ 9 Danso, Claudia Adomah 1½ 10 Hadassah-Mercy, Aforo Tandoh 0½ The Golden Knights The top 5 players in both the opens and ladies’ sections earn a spot on the Ghana National Chess Team (The Golden Knights). Text: Maxwell Kwasi Kporxah Photo: Ghana Chess Association
Gabor Kallai (1959-2021)
Hungarian chess has suffered an enormous loss with the tragic and unexpected death of Gabor Kallai on the last day of 2021. He was a real gentleman in all aspects. We will always miss his kind smile. Gabor Kallai was born in Budapest on February 21, 1959. Chess filled his days fully from 14 when he joined the MTK Budapest Chess Club. Famous GM-s Laszlo Szabo and Gyozo Forintos were his first teachers, and they made Gabor an enthusiastic lover of the game. He became IM in 1982 and GM in 1995. Gabor was involved in various chess activities throughout his life, excelling in all of them. As a player: 1981 bronze medal in the World Team Ch. of Universities1984 Silver medal in the Hungarian Open Championship1988 7th place in the Rapid World Championship in MexicoMultiple national team champion with the MTK and Miskolc teams in Hungary, with Bern in Switzerland and with Strasbourg in France. As a coach: Starting from 1975, for several years, he was one of the first coaches of Susan Polgar, who later became the Women’s World Champion1983-1987 Assisting GM Zoltan Ribli in the Candidate cycles 2002 Team Captain of the Silver medallist Hungarian Olympic Team (Bled)From 2012 he was an external coach of the Kasparov Chess Foundation (New York). As an International Arbiter: Chief Arbiter of the following great matches: Leko – Khalifman (Budapest, 2000)Leko – Kramnik (Budapest, 2001)Portisch – Spassky (Heviz, 2007) As an author: His most successful publication, the Book of Openings, has been translated into five languages.He published chess articles in several newspapers and magazines. Gabor also worked as a commentator and host of the chess broadcasts on Hungarian Sports TV. From 2015 to his untimely death, he was a Master Lecturer at the University of Physical Educations in Budapest. His list of awards includes Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit in 2002, Coach of the Year (3rd place) in Hungary, both for the silver medal achieved at the Bled Chess Olympiad. FIDE extends its sincere condolences to Gabor’s family, friends, and loved ones.
Susal and Niklesha win Sri Lanka championship
16-year-old Susal De Silva of Nalanda College won the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship after a heavy battle with his rival main Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage of Ananda College, the National Chess Champion 2020. After the penultimate round, Susal led the field with 11 points, a half a point ahead of Ranindu. Susal drew the final round direct encounter against Ranindu and clinched National Chess Championship. He received Rs. 100,000/= in cash with the Gold Medal and the championship trophy. Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage (Ananda College) also had a good event where he dropped only 2 points (making four draws) and netted 11 points. He was awarded the Silver Medal with Rs. 50,000/=. Young Thumula Kiriella (Ananda C) performed remarkably well to win bronze 8 points and Rs. 30,000/=. Final standings open: 1 De Silva L M S T (FM) 2131 12 2 Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan (FM) 2300 11 3 Kiriella K G T S D 1608 8 4 De Silva Osheen 1806 7½ 5 Theekshana H G Denuwan 2045 7½ 6 Sivathanujan S 1828 7 7 Weerasinghe C C 1784 6 8 Dahanayake Isara Banidu (CM) 1721 6 9 Sanudula K M Dahamdi (WCM) 1653 6 10 Senevirathne S D B K 1660 6 11 Piyumantha M Thisal Manjith 1818 5½ 12 Ahangama Senuka Aswin 1654 3½ 13 Nabil Nazar Mohamed 1499 3 14 Gunathilake M D Vinuda Shenal 1415 2½ Niklesha Tharushi of Visakha Vidyalaya convincingly won the Women’s National Chess Championships. After a bumpy start, losing the first two games, Niklesha came back strongly to finish on 9 points out of 13 games. Niklesha beat Chethani Chamathka, Esha Pallie, Oshini Gunawardena, Sayumi Gamage, Nemindi Ramanayake. Niklesha received Rs. 60,000/=, gold medal and the championship trophy. Young Esandi Newansa of Dharmasoka College also did a good job beating the bronze winner Dasuni in the penultimate round to earn silver and Rs. 30,000/= with 8½ points out of 13. Dasuni slipped on the final day, losing two games and getting out of the contest for gold, but she scored 8 points to get Rs. 20,000/= with the bronze medal. Final standings women: 1 Tharushi T H D Niklesha (WCM) 1711 9 2 Newansa M Esandi 1163 8 3 Mendis Dasuni Hansika (WFM) 1664 8 4 Pallie Ehsha Mishela (WCM) 1533 7½ 5 Gamage Desandhi Dhihansa 1314 7½ 6 Abeysinghe H M H Janandani 1486 7 7 Ranganath Tharuli Vihasna 1348 7 8 Ramanayake Nemindi Linaya 1328 6½ 9 Gunawardhana Devindya Oshini 1371 6½ 10 Attanayake Chanindi Mewna 1317 6½ 11 Vithanawasam Oneli 1345 6 12 Chamthka W A Chethani 1267 4½ 13 Herath H M R M K 1559 4½ 14 Gamage B K Sayumi Hasithma 1154 2½ The SL National Chess Championships 202, in a round-robin format, brought together 28 top local players competing in the open and women’s categories. The event took place from 24th to 30th of December 2021 at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo, with the awards ceremony held in the presence of Mr Luxman Wijesuriya, the President of Chess Federation and Vice President of Asian Chess Federation as the chief guest. The games are available via the following links: Sri Lanka National Chess Championship – 2021: Link https://view.livechesscloud.com#7fc38dc3-fe7b-4c2f-8562-8d75478229f1 Sri Lanka Womenś National Chess Championship – 2021: Link https://view.livechesscloud.com#b15eb593-90e2-41ef-9314-4f425ef02ce9
Kenya Championship: Njoroge and Mongeli clinch titles
The Kenya National Chess Championship 2021 ended yesterday at Luke hotel, Nairobi. The nine-round Swiss tournaments (open and ladies sections) were played over five days from December 26-30 and attracted 211 players. In open section saw a dramatic finale as the defending champion Mehul Gohil faced off against Martin Njoroge in a two-game tiebreaker of 15minutes each. Both contenders scored 8/9 to tie for the first place, making just two draws each. After the tiebreaker ended in a 1-1 draw, the opponents proceeded to a blitz match. Martin won all two games and clinched the title of the National Kenya Champion of 2021. Over a short period of time the young player broke into adult chess to notch up the greatest success in his career. His achievement will hugely motivate his young peers. Final standings open: 1 Njoroge, Martin 2014 8 2 Gohil, Mehul 1901 8 3 Magana, Ben 2081 7½ 4 Methu, Joseph Muragu 2024 7 5 Sagwa, Hillary 1820 7 6 Hugh, Misiko Okonga 1661 7 7 Kanegeni, Matthew Kamau 1977 7 8 Oluka, Robert Mcligeyo 1686 7 9 Gisore, Daniel 1777 6½ 10 Ndegwa, Jackson Kamau 1910 6½ The women’s tournament was also a close race with Sasha Mongeli and Triza Mwendwa sharing first place. Again, it boiled down to a tiebreaker to determine the champion. Sasha won both rapid games to be declared the Ladies National Kenya Champion of 2021. Final standings women: 1 Mongeli, Sasha 8 2 WFM Mwendwa, Triza 8 3 WCM Ndirangu, Joyce Nyaruai 7 4 Jumba, Gloria 6 5 Obondo, Cynthia Awino 6 6 Karanja, Ether 6 7 Mutisya, Jully 6 8 WCM Wanjiru, Lucy 5½ 9 Ngima, Cheryl 5½ 10 Madelta, Glenda 5½ The winner of the 2021 National Championship Open Section – Martin Njoroge was awarded Brand New Mazda Demio by Chess Kenya President Mr Benard Wanjala during a colourful closing ceremony.