Equity Bank Chess Club retained the bragging rights on Wednesday with a smashing 3.5-0.5 victory over local rivals KCB at the African Chess Club Championship in Cairo, Egypt.
The current Kenya National Chess League leaders emulated their league performance as they crushed their fierce rivals to maintain their splendid start in Cairo.
Equity met KCB in the third round, and like they did to their first two opponents, walloped their local neighbors. International Masters Arthur Ssegwanyi and Elijah Emojong were once again in unforgiving mood and helped their side to victory.
Ssegwanyi, on board one outwitted Phillip Singe Mbawala who was playing his first game at the championship, while Emojong knocked down Kenya’s No.2 seed and Candidate Master Benjamin Magana on board two.
Equity claimed board three too with Kenneth Omolo’s victory over Joseph Methu Muragu and on the last board shared spoils as Moses Andiwoh who was also playing his first game at the event drew against Jackson Kamau Ndegwa
It was Equity’s third straight victory, and it keeps them joint top with six points.
KCB are yet to earn points in Egypt. The defending champions in the Kenyan league have had to deal with opponents much stronger than them, and things have been made worse with the absence of their star player FM Harold Wanyama who was denied visa by the Egyptian embassy for reason yet to be known.
Of the KCB players, only Ndegwa hasn’t suffered defeat. The rated 1899 won his first game before earning half a point in each of his last two games.
KCB sit second last with no point. They face a somewhat easier opponent in Libyan side Alakhadr Elbaida in the fourth round.
Equity will take on Egyptian side Mokawlon Aswan in the next round.
Meanwhile, in an all-Egyptian affair, table toppers Eastern Company [A] meet Alhawar. With GM Amin Basseem, IM Mohammed Ezat, IM Imed Abdelnabbi, IM Ameir Moheb, and IM Wageith Kareim playing for Eastern Company against GM Hesham Abdelrahman, GM Adly Ahmed, IM Labib Ibrahim Hasan, IM Ali Farahat and Fadi Marko rated 2323 on Alhawar’s side, it promises to be an electrifying tie.
Alhawar are joint top but sit below Equity and Eastern Company on a tie-break.
