Unlike past editions, the fourth edition of the Doves Junior Chess Championships set for August 28 will be an online contest owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament that normally attracts over 300 school going children will have children from across East Africa competing in four categories; the U-10, U-12, U-16 and U-20 categories.

The overall winner of the tournament will walk away with a trophy while there are cash prizes for the top three in all categories as well as medals and certificates to all participants.

Registration for the championship can be made online via tornelo.com with an entry fee of sh10, 000/- or Ksh300 via Mpesa.

The tournament is organised in conjunction with International Chess Fellowship of Rotarians, Rotary Club of Silicon Valley, ACCU and Infetui Technologies.

Woman Fide Master, arbiter and instructor Christine Namaganda who runs the Doves club started the championship with an aim of introducing as many kids to the game with a target of producing a Grand Master in the near future.

“We want to have as many kids engaged in the sport. It is easier to get a Grand Master if you have so many children playing chess according to the advice from Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov when he last visited the country. It is the same concept they use in Russia and in Egypt,” Namaganda noted in a past interview.

Players from academies,clubs, schools and individual always compete in the event which is played in accordance with FIDE regulations as an eight-round Swiss system tournament.

The Chief Arbiter for the tournament is Innocent Kimera.