Annabel Mideva will be representing Kenya in the International Youth Chess championship, in Greece on April 13, 2023.

The 9-year-old developed her interest in the sport after seeing her dad playing chess at home.

“As I started off, I was doing it for leisure but what sparked my interest to join chess competitively is when I saw my brother winning awards,” she narrates.

In November 2021, Mideva got a chance to meet Candidate Master and veteran player-cum-coach Ben Magana, during the Nakuru chess open tournament.

“I could see his moves and I wished I could play against him,” she says.

Anabel plays chess with her father at their home in Nakuru.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

At that point, Mideva envisioned herself as a great player who could be able to challenge her mentor and now senior coach.

Driven by her desire to excel in the sport, she started putting in more hours, practicing her chess moves.

“I enrolled into Nakuru Chess Academy where I trained with coach Dickson Gitari,” Mideva explains.

She played in her first tournament in Nairobi in November 2021 and carded 5^th position.

That motivated her to take more lessons and before she knew it, she was a threat to most chess players in Nakuru. Mideva remains unbeaten in her category.

Anabel holds one of her trophies at their home in Nakuru.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

She won the Kenya National Junior Chess Championship held in Mombasa in 2022 and proceeded to play in Zambia on July 9, 2022, where she was in 6^th position out of 17 participants in the under-10 girl’s category.

Asked about her expectations on Greece, Mideva says, “I hope to win.”.

Annabel’s dad, Dr. Makanga Winston notes that he is proud of her and the strides she has made in chess.

“Being a chess player myself, I saw this as a gift I could pass on to her. Mine is to support her in her journey until she gets to the Grand Master level,” he adds.

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Nine year old to represent Kenya in International chess championship

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Purity Kinuthia