chessctc

Students expressed happiness and gratitude after the prizes were announced. Here are some representative reactions:

“Thank you for the awards. It really helped me with my transport and I was able to purchase the school stuff I didn’t have.”

“We received the awards. We don’t take it for granted, we really appreciate it.”

Many thanks to our donor whose generous support made this puzzle contest possible, and to all the students for their enthusiastic participation. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to IM Evan Park for leading the contest, and faculty coordinator Catherine Biketi for her invaluable support.

Moving forward to this year, we hope to host more puzzle contests as well as develop a clear curriculum for all of the students that will carry on even after Evan leaves for college.

Below is a summary of the brilliant performance of Salama players at the regional and the national tournaments.

The tremendous growth of the game within the Salama community made this year another great success in terms of chess performance. The chess club at Salama Gachie Community School has seen participation almost doubled; at the alumni schools, Salama graduates are now leading or creating their own clubs. Last year, 7 Salama players qualified for the National Schools and debuted on the national stage; this year, the number nearly tripled!

Below is a summary of the brilliant performance of Salama players at the regional and the national tournaments.

There was indeed a lot to celebrate since last year after the CTC team came to Salama for the first time. The school brought home their first team trophy at the 2023 Potterhouse Chess Championship, 20 Salama players made it to the Kenya National Youth Chess Championship, and most impressively, Gloria Wakoli Mbolo became the very first Salama player to qualify for the African Youth Chess Championships. In addition, the first puzzle contest was a lively success and rewarded the best efforts Salama players had put over the board. Ellen also took this opportunity to thank the volunteer coach Hillary, who constantly came to the school to coach the club members and helped out at various events.

But first and foremost, an immense thank you to Catherine, the head teacher and the mother of all Salama kids! Her unwavering commitment and pivotal contribution is nothing short of life-changing for all Salama players, driving their continued chess progress and success.