This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
On October 13, 2019, the Kenya Chess Premier League witnessed exciting matches at the KCB Sports Club in Nairobi. The league standings saw a significant shift as Equity Bank Chess Club moved up to fifth place after a successful weekend.
Equity Bank Chess Club, the defending champions, showcased their strength by thrashing Daystar University 5-0. The team's board matches were won by Mathew Kamau, James Panchol, Brian Kadenge, Judith Awinja, and Fide Master Stephen Ouma.
In their second match, Equity Bank Chess Club registered a 4.5-0.5 win over Bank of Africa (BA). Mathew Kamau drew against Joseph Ngooro of BA, contributing to the team's impressive performance.
With this win, Equity Bank Chess Club moved to fifth in the league standings with 52 points after playing 20 matches. They are 17 points behind leaders KCB, who have played three more matches.
Speaking to Standard Sports, acting captain Mathew Kamau expressed the team's focus on reducing the gap between them and leaders KCB. He stated, 'We played very well over the weekend and I am glad the team improved in the standings with three matches in hand. Our focus is to reduce the gap between us and KCB and the team is going to come back even stronger in our next league match.'
Other results from the weekend included Bank of Africa edging Trojan Warriors 3.5-1.5 and Technical University thumping Nairobi Gymkhana 5-0.
As the league continues, action resumes on October 26, where Lighthouse Chess Club will entertain KCB, Black Knights, JKUAT, and Equity.
