By KPC Sports Reporter
More than 8,000 young chess players from across the country have gathered at Mang’u High School for the 2026 Kenya National Youth and Cadet Chess Championship, which kicked off on Saturday.
The three-day tournament has attracted participants from all regions of Kenya, competing across 12 categories in what is shaping up to be one of the largest youth chess events in the country’s history.
Beyond national glory, the championship doubles as a crucial selection platform, with top performers earning slots to represent Kenya in upcoming international competitions. Chief among these is the African Youth Chess Championships set for next month in Kampala, Uganda.
Early rounds have already produced standout performances, including from 15-year-old Chinua Denge of Lenana School, who impressed with two consecutive wins in the preliminary stage to collect two points.
“I have won two of my games and therefore I have amassed points so far. Going forward I would like to get six points in order to qualify to the next level,” said Denge.
“My motivation is being on top of my game and getting a ticket to represent Kenya in the coming international competitions.”
Bernard Wanjala, president of Chess Kenya, emphasized the championship’s role in nurturing talent and expanding Kenya’s presence on the global chess stage.
“We have played two rounds on the opening day so far, and we are using this championship to identify national champions and select players who will carry the national flag in a number of international events,” Wanjala said.
“We expect Kenya will maintain its dominance in the competition.”
He added that Kenya is steadily rising as a regional chess powerhouse.
“This is important because Kenya has become one of the top countries producing very strong chess players in the East African region. We are also aiming to produce International Masters, and to achieve that we must expose our best players to international competition,” he noted.
As the tournament intensifies, only the top 11 players will advance to the play-offs, where a round-robin format will determine the overall champions.
The best three players in each category will earn places on the national team.