Nine-time Kenya Chess Premier League Champions KCB have officially departed for Botswana to compete in the 2026 African Individual Chess Championship, scheduled for 18 – 27 June 2026 at Cresta Lodge in Jwaneng.
The championship is one of the premier chess events on the African continent as it brings together elite players from across Africa to compete in the Open and Women’s section and will be played over nine rounds under the Swiss-system format.
KCB Chess Team will be represented by Joseph Methu, Woman FIDE Master Joyce Nyaruai, Candidate Master Ian Mutuge, Hugh Misiko, Woman FIDE Master Elizabeth Cassidy, Hawi Kaloki, Candidate Master Emmanuel Egesa, Woman Candidate Master Bella Nashipae, and FIDE Master Jadon Simiyu. The technical bench comprises Isaac Babu and Vincent Owuor.
Speaking ahead of the continental event, KCB Group Director, Marketing & Communications Rosalind Gichuru said: “We are proud of the preparation and discipline the players have shown and we are confident that our players will represent us well in the upcoming championships.”
All eyes will be on Elizabeth Cassidy, the rising star and Under-16 continental gold medalist, as she heads into the Africa Individual Chess Championship, marking her as one of Africa’s most promising talents. She will be joined by FIDE Master Jadon Simiyu, the 14-year-old national champion inspiring a new generation.
The Open section is expected to be highly competitive and will feature Egyptian Grandmaster Bassem Amin, rated 2628, alongside elite players from Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The time control for the event is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes to the end of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move one. The Chief Arbiter is Stephen Ssemmango Kisuze.
“We are fully aware that we are up against some of the strongest players on the continent, including Grandmasters and seasoned champions. But we are not going there to participate. We are going there to compete, to challenge for wins in every round, and to prove that we belong at the very top of African chess,” noted Team Manager Isaac Babu.
The team also heads into the continental championship on strong domestic form. In the national league, KCB Chess Team currently sits second on the table, despite having played fewer matches than its closest rivals.
