Equity chess team go top as season conclusion nears

With two rounds of matches scheduled before the season ends, Equity Bank are on top of the Kenya National Chess Premier League (KNCPL) for the first time after winning all their matches at the weekend.

The bankers have nine points from 11 games and were in a winning mood as the league resumed over the weekend at Daystar University.

Equity first annihilated Black Nights 5-0 in their first match on Saturday morning and followed it up with a 4-1 win over Knight Chess Academy.

Ruaraka win maiden NPCA Super League title

Then on Sunday, they thrashed Elite Chess Academy and Club 4-1 to go straight to the top of the standings with two rounds of matches to go.

Defending champions KCB are second on the log also with nine points and a match in hand. The bankers also won all their weekend matches but their biggest win was bringing down a highly rated Nairobi Chess Club.

With an average rating of 2100 and the national champion Mehul Gohil in their line-up, it was expected that the bankers will struggle. However, that was not the case. Joseph Methu, playing on board one, upset the national champion Gohil.

Then Ben Nguku playing in board two managed to hold Artem Gurevich rated 2187 to pick a point for the bankers.

In board three, veteran Ben Magana brought down another highly rated player Pierre Carbonnel (2135). Youngster Robert Macligeyo also won his match on board four beating Vasanth Ramesh.

National ladies champion Joyce Nyaruai finished off the rout beating Olive Sang 1-0 in board five.

In the super league category, Mavens Tacticians are top of the standings after playing nine matches and collecting nine points. They are followed by Mavens Warriors at second position who have eight points. Victoria Chess Club from Kisumu are lying third with seven points.

Weekend results

University of Nairobi 5-0 Lighthouse Queens

Strathmore Univesity 5-0 Mavens Chess and Scholastic Center

USIU 3-2 Anchor Chess Club

Mavens Tacticians 5-0 Lighthouse Bravo

Knights Chess Academy 0-5Mavens Chess Club

Nairobi Chess Academy and Club 3.5-1.5 Knight Chess Academy

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) 4-1 Lighthouse Alpha

Nakuru Chess Club 2-3 Nairobi Chess Club

Anchor 1-4 Daystar University