When you speak of chess, many will describe it as a 'rich man’s game'. However, Dickson Gitari is changing this narrative. He is on course to revive chess play in Nakuru and bridge the gap by introducing the game to the informal settlements.

It all started at the Chess Kenya open held in Nakuru in 2021, when he noted that there were no players from Nakuru at the event. He expected to meet players from Nakuru, as the city has had its glorious moments in chess and hosted chess champions from the region.

“I was taken aback to see a large group of chess players but none of them was from Nakuru. After consulting the Kenya Chess Federation president, he confirmed to me that Nakuru did not have a team at that time,” he recalls

It was after this encounter that Gitari took the initiative to start training kids in chess through the Nakuru sports association.

“We got into talks with the Kenya Chess Federation and secured ten chess boards to kick off our training,” he says.

Children practicing Chess at Afraha Secondary school. The children are drawn from informal settlements in Nakuru city.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/NMG

Gitari describes chess as a game that empowers kids and sharpens their minds. He plans to reach out to kids from all backgrounds and bring them on board to play chess.

Through an organization dubbed, The Gift of Chess, he has been able to supply more than 60 chess boards to different schools and give training. Some of the beneficiaries are Freehold, Nakuru East, Kaptembwa, Bondeni, and Muslim primary schools.

So far, he has been able to train approximately 600 kids from different schools and has a team of 30 kids that frequent Afraha secondary school for their daily training during the holiday and on weekends on school days.

He aims to grow a big team of chess players from Nakuru, which he does by offering a free two-hour class for kids from less fortunate families and charging a Sh 2000 training fee for those brought on board by their parents.

wanjirukinuthia20@gmail.com

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Purity Kinuthia