The Kireka Open Chess Championship 2024 started on Saturday 28th December 2024 with games in the Open Category and ladies’ category. It was held at Sports View Hotel Kireka from the 28th to the 31st of December 2024 (a 4-day event). The defending champion is the chess master Gong Thon Gong from South Sudan who also played in this year’s edition. This private event was sponsored and organized by the Kireka Chess Club with support from the Uganda Chess Federation. The event has been running intermittently since 2010. However, it stabilized in 2016 and has been consistent since then.
The tournament was held in 3 categories; the Open (152 registered players), Ladies (40 registered players), and Juniors sections (72 registered players), giving an overall total of 262 chess players registered for the event across the 3 sections. This is the Chess Results page for the tournament.
https://chess-results.com/tnr1086114.aspx?lan=1
In the Open section, the leaders were,
Matovu Abel 7 pts, FM Nsubuga Haruna 7 pts, Ngong Samuel Gai 6.5 pts and Ssonko Matthias 6.5 pts
In the Ladies section, the leaders were,
Nakabo Peninah 6.5, WCM Ndirangu Joyce Nyaruai 6 pts, WFM Sana Omprakash kayyar 6 pts, Kaloki Zuri 6 pts, Ahereza Joan 5.5 pts
In the Junior Section,
Ahumuza Apollo of KTLC Chess Academy took over the junior field with 6.5/7 points.
The tournament proved fiercely competitive, featuring a strong contingent of skilled players from Kenya and South Sudan. Defending champion Gong Thon Gong faced stiff opposition, ultimately suffering two defeats. The top-seeded East African IM Arthur Ssegwanyi also encountered difficulties, withdrawing after incurring two losses against fellow countrymen.
The junior players displayed remarkable resilience, holding numerous strong players to the game draw. A standout performance came from rising star and university player Abel Matovu, who impressively secured 7/8 points after a single first-round loss. A tiebreak match was necessary to determine the winner, with Abel ultimately defeating FM Haruna Nsubuga, who also achieved 7/8 points.
The ladies’ section witnessed a thrilling upset as Nakabo Peninah (Mrs. Ssegwanyi) overcame the formidable field, culminating in a dramatic final-round victory against the defending champion Sana.
The closing ceremony was graced by Mr Lubega the Kireka Chess Club patron who handed the gifts to the winners.
The game to be remembered was between the Outgoing champion and the new champion in round 7.
And the Game that also change History below.
This tournament stands out as one of the most challenging and well-organized events of the year, boasting an excellent venue and a highly competent arbitration team. Below are the day’s highlights in the picture!!!
