Team IES won a tough competition in Malmö. Their success strategy was agressive opening play involving opposite castling which put their opponents under instant pressure directly from the start. The event was held at Malmö Arena and the atmosphere was great and many new friendship and business relations was created during this afternoon. We would like to thank our partners SPP and all participants and sponsors for a great day.

Join our Cross Culture Girls training session on October 24 at 9am EST. The topic will be endgames and the training will be conducted by National Master Advait Nair. If you are not yet a member of the Cross Culture Girls program and would like to attend the session then contact Lishen Mentile on lishen@businessmeetschessandkids.com to sign up. See you there!

December 20 is International Human Solidarity Day which we will honor by organizing a big charity chess tournament online on chess.com. It will be a 6 round rapid tournament with 10 minutes per player. There will be GM commentary and the starting fee is a donation to our African chess friends who are in need of clothes, chesstraining, chess equipments and tournament support. If you like to play chess then join our tournament today. All levels are welcome.

Sign up here

Support the children through a donation here

See you on December 20, It will be great fun.

Thanks a lot to all participants, all supporters, Chess.com, GM Peter Svidler and GM Pontus Carlsson who entertained the viewers with top notch commentary. Tandeka Shiloh everyone, remember the name.

On October 4 between 11.30am and 2.30pm we will organize a big charity tournament online on chess.com. It will be an individual tournament with 6 rounds of 10 minute games. The tournament is in favor of children engaged in our programs and the players will be a mix of some of them and adult supporters from the whole world. The tournament is open for everyone that likes to play chess and the starting fee is a donation to the children. The Tournament will be broadcasted with GM commentaries. All levels are welcome

Sign up: here

Donate: here

For 15 year old Elizabeth Cassidy from Kitale in Kenya, chess have been a big game changer in her life. Elizabeth comes from humble conditions but has not let it stop her on her rise towards the top. She is a Women Fide Master (WFM) and both African and Kenyan Champion under 16. Last week she also announced herself on the African Junior stage by bagging home a historic Silver medal at the African Youth Chess Championships under 20 that was held in Bujumbura in Burundi.

We saw Cassidy´s talent early and decided to support her already in 2018 when she was on 800 level. Now she sits on a 1920 FIDE elo and have gained more than 1000 points since then. Through our Chess 2 Change Tournament she meet the CEO of DGT Mr. Hans Pees. They teamed up for the Hand & Brain tournament and quickly found each other why Hans and DGT decided to sponsor her. Today we are very happy to announce that DGT have decided to increase their sponsorship which will make it possible for Elizabeth to go to a good school that will be able to nurture both her chess and academic skills. This kind of life changing changes through the help of chess, is really what Chess 2 Change is about and a big thankyou to DGT for joining our quest. Sky is the limit for Cassidy!

 *HISTORIC PERFORMANCE FOR KENYA AT THE AFRICA JUNIOR CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP!*

Kenya has just registered its best-ever performance at the prestigious Africa Junior Chess Championship!

 WFM Elizabeth Cassidy made history with Silver in the Girls’ Section — Kenya’s first-ever silver medal in that category. Entering as the 2nd-highest rated player, she finished strong with 7/9 points, gained 30 Elo points, and secured her 2nd WIM norm, moving closer to the WIM title.

 FM Jadon Simiyu (2212) fought hard in a tough Open Section field to win Bronze, Kenya’s first Open medal in 36 years, since Juma Arogo’s win in Botswana in 1990! He finished with 5.5/9 points and bagged his 1st IM norm, a huge career milestone.

 Congratulations, Jadon and Cassidy, we are very proud of you and the journey continues! 

JAMIE-NICOLE BEUKES CROWNED NAMIBIA OPEN WOMEN’S CHAMPION!

What a performance! Jamie-Nicole Beukes has been crowned the Namibia Open Women’s Section Champion, finishing the tournament with an outstanding 8.5 points out of 9 games!

Jamie’s phenomenal score is a testament to her consistency, determination, fighting spirit, and growing strength on the chessboard. Dropping just half a point across nine rounds is an exceptional achievement and one that deserves to be celebrated.

We are especially proud to see Jamie-Nicole achieve this milestone as an affiliate of Business Meets Chess & Kids. Her journey is a wonderful example of what can happen when talented young players are given opportunities, support, and a community that believes in their potential.

And there’s more to celebrate! Jamie will proudly represent Namibia at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan, taking her place among the country’s finest players on one of the biggest stages in international chess. From dominating the Namibia Open to earning the opportunity to represent her country internationally, Jamie’s journey continues to inspire.

Congratulations, Jamie Nicole Beukes!

Your hard work is paying off, And we will be cheering on you in Uzbekistan!

The journey continues.

The 17 year old Zambian chess talent Kennedy Shane has taken his game to a new level this summer. His bronze medal at the African Youth Chess Championships was the last decisive result that he needed to fulfill the conditions for the FIDE Master Title. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to Shane’s dedication, passion, hard work, and continued growth in chess.

We are especially proud to highlight Kennedy as an affiliate of our Chess 2 Change program, a program committed to using chess as a vehicle for opportunity, development, and positive change. And to be honest, we did see it coming already in 2017…

From the Business Meets Chess & Kids community to the wider chess world — congratulations, FM Kennedy Shane! Your journey is an inspiration, and we look forward to seeing what comes next!