Chess Kenya Federation (CKF) schools head Saphinah Kenyando, during a training session for teachers in Kisii/ANGWENYI GICHANA
Chess is among the sports that have been introduced in the KSSSA calendar. Other sports that will feature in Term Two are scrabble, beach volleyball, cricket, baseball, and lacrosse. Chess Kenya Federation President Benard Wanjala said the competition will feature both team and individual categories.
He said that players must register on the KSSSA portal as it is a new sport. However, the schools should produce all the documentation required by KSSSA, noted Wanjala.
The President revealed that the format of play will be a Swiss pairing of seven rounds or fewer, and in case of seven or fewer teams or players, the format will be round-robin. He added that each of the eight regions will be governed by a committee comprising seven to eight members to manage the regional championships.
Wanjala said the regional championships will be held between June 8 and 22 across the country. In Nyanza, the regional championships will be held at Homa Bay Senior School from July 7 to 11, while the Western region championships will be staged at Bungoma High School on the same dates.
The Nairobi qualifiers will be held at Jamhuri High School from July 7 to 11, while Narok High School will stage the Rift Valley championships from July 6 to 11. Central and Eastern region championships are scheduled for MPesa and Makueni High School, respectively, from July 8 to 11.
The North Eastern region event will be held at Takaba, Mandera, from July 20 to 22. According to Wanjala, Coast, Western, North Eastern, and Eastern will field one team of six players and three top individual players at the national championships to be held at MPesa Academy from July 25 to August 1.
Central, Rift Valley, Nyanza, and Nairobi have been allocated two top teams and the top six players. Wanjala further said that each team will pay a participation fee of Sh5, 000 for a team of six players and Sh900 for individual players.
Each school will make accommodation arrangements for its players. The two top teams in the finals and six top players will qualify for the Federation of East Africa Schools Association (FEASSA) Championships to be held in Morogoro, Tanzania, from August 12 to 23.
