Africa-Press – Kenya. Chess Kenya President Benard Wanjala has described the qualification of Equity Bank’s chess team for the FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship as a historic milestone for Kenya and African chess.
The team will compete in the finals in Goa, India, from November 14–16. They earned their place after winning the Kenya Bankers’ Association Interbank Games and excelling in a two-month online knockout stage.
They finished among the top eight of more than 30 global corporate teams. Equity also enters the finals as champions of the Kenya National Chess Premier League.
Captain Njagi Kabugu leads the squad, which includes Victor Ongono, Brian Ovita, Hubert Kimani and Stephen Waweru.
“The team is ready to represent Kenya and give their best”, said Kabugu.
Equity will face teams from major global companies, including Microsoft, Google, JP Morgan and Deloitte.
The championship brings employees from top organisations together to compete for the title of ‘The Smartest Company in the World’.
Locally, Equity has dominated for years. They have won the National Chess Premier League and Interbank Games three times in a row. They have also claimed top honours at the Mombasa, Kitale and Nairobi Opens.
Since its formation in 2012, the team has become one of Africa’s most successful corporate chess sides. Their record includes eight National League titles and appearances in major continental and global events, including the World Blitz and 2025 Rapid Chess Tournament and the 2022 African Amateur Chess Championship.
As they travel to Goa, the team aims to show that Kenyan chess can compete – and win – on the world stage.
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