Fresh changes to the format of the national championship and team selection process have been announced following the 47-member AGM held on the 3rd of August 2024. The new Grand Prix system marks a complete overhaul of the previous 3-phase qualifier system that was in place for years. In the new system, the national chess championship will be a closed round-robin event in which 11 participants will be selected based on a number of criteria as follows;
1 Player- The highest FIDE-rated player having played at least 4 Grand Prix events in the year of the championship.
1 Player- The national junior chess champion.
9 Players- The top nine performers in the Grand Prix scoring system. This will be calculated from the tournament performance ratings in a minimum of four events within the year.
Grand Prix events must meet the minimum requirements of 6 rounds, 90 minutes time control and be FIDE rated. Chess Kenya will approve and announce a minimum of 6 Grand Prix events each year and private organizers are invited to have their events included in the Grand Prix system.
These changes will take effect on January 2025 and the first cohort produced through this system will form the 2026 Olympiad team. It will be interesting to see the impact of these changes on the team composition and the competitiveness and activity at the Kenyan chess scene in general.