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Date set for Queen Chess Festival
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 19.02.25. | 16:16
The winner will pocket Sh.20,000 with the runners-up getting Sh.10,000 and the third placed winner earning Sh.7,500
The second edition of the Queens Rapid Chess Festival will be held on March 8 at Clarion Hotel.
The women only tournament has cash prizes of Sh.50,000 to be divided among winners.
It is a slight increase from the Sh.41,000 that was paid out in the first edition held in 2020.
The winner will pocket Sh.20,000 with the runners-up getting Sh.10,000 and the third placed winner earning Sh.7,500.
Joyce Nyaruai the winner of the first edition is expected to defend her title and she has thanked Chess Kenya for re-introducing the event.
“We are grateful to the federation for recognizing women and having a tournament that is exclusively for us. It will help to create awareness about the game and encourage more women to take part,” she said.
Chess Kenya president Benard Wanjala said the event will be held as part of celebration for the International Women’s Day.
“As a federation we remain on the forefront to support women participation in chess and coming on a day that they are being celebrated worldwide, it shows that we care about their issues,” he said.
Apart from Nyaruai, other top women expected to take part in the one-day event, include national women champion Sasha Mongeli, WCM Julie Mutisya, Elizabeth Cassidy and Madelta Glenda.
On the same day, the Waridi Chess Festival will be held at Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club.
This will be the fourth Grand Prix event and is part of the tournaments being used to select a national team that will represent the country in next year’s World Olympiad.
A total prize fund of Sh.125,000 will be on offer with the winner of the open category winning Sh.30,000. The women winner will pocket Sh.15,000.
There will also be trophies for the top three schools, best junior club, best university and best corporate teams.
