Back-to-back victories for Kenya's Joyce Nyaruai at Africa Individual Chess Championships

Kenya National Women chess champion Joyce Nyaruai won two games in a row as the Africa Individual Chess Championships entered the fifth round on Tuesday evening.

Nyaruai’s momentum was however cut shot on Wednesday after she lost her sixth round game to Algerian Caxita Esperanca in board five.

Earlier, the Kenyan champion had beaten Egyptian Ala Dema and Ben Said Safa from Algeria to increase her points tally to three with four rounds of play still remaining.

The Kenyan champion admitted that the competition is very tough but expressed confidence that she will be able to finish strongly.

“It is my first time playing in this tournament and I must admit that it has been very tough so far. Everybody looks prepared but iam determined to do well,” she told Mozzarport in an interview from Cairo.

Nyaruari is now placed in 15th position with players from North Africa dominating the top positions.

Algerian Women International Master (WIM) leads after collecting maximum six points.

Another WIM Elansary Eman from Egypt is second with five points, while compatriot Women Grand Master (WGM) Mona Khalid has four points.

In the men category, Kenyan player Robert Macligeyo won his fifth and sixth round matches after beating Ismail Hany and Hamdy Abdalla both from Egypt.

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Macligeyo has now collected two and half points in the tournament.

Algeria Grand Master (GM) Beelahcene Bilel leads the pack with 4.5points. At second place are two other Grand Master’s Adly Ahmed and Fawzy Adham from Egypt. They also have 4.5 points each.

The nine-day event ends on May 14 and is a qualifier for this year’s Chess World Cup.