Battle royale as Kenya National Youth and Cadet Chess Championships get underway

Over 8000 buzzing chess players have converged at the Mangu’ High School in Kiambu County, as they battle for top honors and pride at the 2026 Kenya National Youth and Cadet Chess Championship that began on Saturday.

The three-day event has attracted players from different regions in the country and are competing in 12 categories. 

The national championship also serves as trials as top athletes will be selected to represent Kenya in various global chess events this year with the immediate one being the African Youth Chess Championships in Kampala, Uganda next month.

Fifteen-year-old Lenana School Student Chinua Denge was in his own class as he registered two wins in the preliminary round that saw him amass two points. His motivation in the championship is fighting for a place to represent Kenya abroad.

“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. My motivation is being on top of my game and getting a ticket to represent Kenya in the coming international competitions,” Denge said.

Chess Kenya president Bernard Wanjala reiterated the desire to give the Kenyan players the much-need international exposure as the country seeks to produce International Masters. 

"We have played two rounds in the opening day so far and we are using this championship to get the national champions and to select the players who will carry the national flag in a number of international events. We expect that Kenya will maintain its dominance in the competition.”


“This is important because Kenya has become one of the top countries which are producing very strong chess players in the East African region. We are also aiming to produce international masters and for us to achieve that then we need to get the best players and expose them to international level,” Wanjala added. 

With stakes high, the best 11 players will proceed to the play-offs where the best players will be identified through a round-robin format. Further, the best three in each category will be selected to join the national team.