KCB Open Chess tournament attracts over 1,000 players as prize money rises to KES 1 million

The second edition of the KCB Open Chess Championship has attracted over 1,000 top-rated players from across Kenya and neighbouring countries, who will compete for an enhanced prize purse of KES 1,000,000, up from KES 620,000 in 2025.

Scheduled for October 17–20, 2026, at the KCB Leadership Centre in Karen, Nairobi, the tournament, a Chess Kenya Grand Prix Circuit event, underscores KCB’s continued commitment to growing chess talent and strengthening the competitive chess landscape in the region.

Building on the success of the inaugural event, this year’s tournament will feature expanded playing categories, including the Junior, Challengers and Open sections, alongside special categories for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and university and college students. The expanded format reinforces KCB’s position as a champion of intellectual sports and its commitment to promoting inclusivity and nurturing emerging talent.

Speaking ahead of the competition, KCB Chess Team Chairman Benard Barasa explained that the tournament is designed to develop local talent by exposing players to international competition while creating opportunities for more participants to engage in the sport.

“We intend to build a talent pipeline for the country through such tournaments that bring together established players from other countries to compete against our local players. We are also keen on strengthening inclusivity through the competition; that is why we have opened it up to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs),” said Barasa.

The Junior category will feature boys and girls competing across the Under-7, Under-9, Under-11, Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 age groups. The Challengers section will be open to players with FIDE ratings of up to 1800 in the Open category and 1700 in the Female category, while the Open section will feature separate Open (Male) and Female categories.

KCB Chess Team Head Coach Benjamin Magana welcomed the tournament’s return, noting that it offers the team an important platform to assess its performance, sharpen its competitive edge and prepare for upcoming league matches.

“We appreciate the Bank for organizing this competition for the second consecutive year. It provides our team with a valuable opportunity to test our skills against some of the best players, sharpen our competitive edge, and nurture our chess talent. The tournament will also serve as an important platform to prepare for the upcoming league matches as we pursue our 11th league title,” disclosed Magana.

The increased prize purse of KES 1,000,000, compared to KES 620,000 awarded in 2025, marks a significant boost for the championship, raising the stakes for this year’s competitors and further enhancing the tournament’s appeal to local and international players.

At the inaugural KCB Open Chess Tournament in 2025, South Sudan’s Gong Thon Gong claimed the overall title, while Bella Nashipae, then a 15-year-old talent from Nairobi Chess Academy (NACHA), won the Ladies’ section.

Nashipae joined KCB Chess Club in 2026. In the Juniors’ category, Ryan Kamada won the Boys’ section, while Jadarudo Oluchiri Achieng emerged victorious in the Girls’ section.