Reinderman set for Kenya

Chess world grand master set for Kenya test
Written By:Buckley Fedha, Posted: Sat, Jul 23, 2011

Kenyan chess has gotten a much needed boost with the arrival of world's top trainer, Grand Master Dmitri Reinderman of Holland, who arrived in the country on Thursday to conduct an extensive chess clinic.

Some of Kenya's seasoned internationals and top local players like FIDE Master Martin Gateri, Candidate Master Wachira Wachania, Olympian Ben Magana and three times Kenya Blitz chess champion Mehul Gohil will be taking part.

The Grand Master will showcase his brilliance on Saturday (23RD JULY 2011) when he plays 30 Kenyan players simultaneously and again prove his earned 7th ranking in Netherlands on Sunday (24TH JULY 2011) when he, blindfolded, battles Kenyan best Ben Nguku.

"A musician can play a guitar without looking at the notes, and just like that I can play without looking at the board, the game is in me, it is in my mind." Said Dmitri.

The chess clinic kick's off on 22nd July Friday with the first of four training sessions: "Dmitri Reinderman has an ELO rating of 2617 which is world class.

He is a well respected chess trainer who has coached the South African national team which is one of the strongest teams on the continent and has mentored some of the best junior players in Europe.

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Kenyan players as getting mentored by a strong player is almost non-existent.

Dmitri is equipped with a great knowledge of various middle game strategies and endgame technique and is an expert on intricate openings like the Alekhine's and Semi-Slav Defences.

The Friday training session will be followed by a spectacular exhibition over the weekend.

On Saturday (23rd July 2011), Grandmaster Reinderman will take on 30 players simultaneously in an event billed as ‘Reinderman verses the rest of Kenya'.

This exhibition will showcase the grandmaster's ‘chess stamina' and ability to think through radically shifting scenarios.

"As Reinderman goes around the boards making his moves against different players it will be like a Governor who is forced to campaign and contest elections in more than one county over the same period of time."

"The Governor has to county-hop without a break of any kind. He is forced to keep changing his mindframe so as to keep in sync with the different characteristics of each individual constituency. A next to impossible task that requires a special and flexible mind," Said Mehul Gohil.

The simultaneous event will be one of the highlights of this clinic. Invited are players from the entire spectrum of the Kenyan chess scene from juniors to university students to top lady players to veterans to media celebrities.

East Africa's number one player, Harold Wanyama of Uganda will also attend. There will be a few slots open to the general public.

On Sunday 24th July Grandmaster Reinderman will play a blindfold exhibition game against one of Kenya's legendary Olympians, Ben Nguku.

The grandmaster will have no sight of the board unlike Ben Nguku. The grandmaster will speak out his moves as he plays the game entirely within his mind, relying only on his photographic memory of move patterns.

The event is being organized by Kenya's oldest and biggest chess club - Nairobi Chess Club.

"The grandmaster clinic is part of a process by Nairobi Chess Club to revamp and reinvent the chess scene in Kenya. This year alone we have organized a regional league, several blitz championships and our members have supported other clubs in organizing various chess events. Next year we plan to send some top Kenya players out for international tournaments in Europe or Asia," said Nairobi chess club Chairman Kim Bhari.

This will be the first time in over 20 years that a grandmaster has come to Kenya to train the country's best players.

Last training visit was by Grandmaster John Emms of England in 1990 when he took the national team bound for the Novi Sad Olympiad through a grueling training schedule.

Source: http://www.kbc.co.ke