Over 200 players compete in SOM Easter Chess tournament in Makindye

Chess players across the country are marking the 2026 Easter festivities in competitive style at the Sports Outreach Ministries (SOM) Easter Chess Tournament in Makindye, which has attracted over 200 participants.

Now in its third edition, the SOM Easter Tournament has drawn players from various categories, all vying for a share of the sh32 million prize kitty.

In addition to cash prizes, winners will also receive trophies and medals, making the championship one of the most attractive events on the local chess calendar.

The top seven players in both the Open and Ladies’ categories will earn prize money. Winners in each category will take home sh1 million, while the runners-up will receive sh700,000 each.

Chess players compete in the Open category at the 2026 SOM Easter Chess Tournament in Makindye. Photo: Silvano Kibuuka

Special categories have also been catered for. According to tournament director and SOM Katwe Chess Club proprietor Robert Katende, the best differently abled player and the top senior (above 50 years) will each win sh100,000.

The Open category, which flagged off on Good Friday, has attracted 108 male and 46 female players competing in a four-day showdown. Meanwhile, the Juniors’ category will begin on Easter Sunday and run for two days, with the entire tournament climaxing on Easter Monday.

In the junior section, winners in the U19 and U16 categories, as well as the overall best junior, will each walk away with sh100,000.

Katende hailed the tournament’s growing stature, noting that it has attracted participants from as far as South Sudan, alongside Ugandan players from across the country.

He added that the competition is serving as vital preparation for upcoming events, including the Africa Youth Championship set for May at Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel in Entebbe, and the Fr. Grimes National Schools Championship scheduled for the same month at Ntare School in Mbarara District.

“The junior players are benefiting the most from this championship. Apart from winning prizes, they are gaining valuable competitive experience ahead of continental and national tournaments next month. I am happy that chess, which we started modestly in Katwe, has become an important part of the country’s sporting landscape and is booming in schools,” Katende said.

He further highlighted that the SOM Chess Academy has used the game to transform lives from children to the elderly, under the theme “One move at a time” since its founding in 2004.

Defending champion FIDE Master Haruna Nsubuga is among the participants, although last year’s women’s winner, Kenya’s Joyce Ndirangu, is not in attendance to defend her title.

Other notable players gracing the tournament include 2024 champions Patricia Kawuma (SOM Chess Club) and Emmanuel Egesa (Kireka Chess Club) in the women’s and men’s categories, respectively.