Bernice: My Experience in Lusaka, Zambia Competing in the 2022 African Youth Chess Championship (AYCC)

After my mother had left he said to my opponent, “SEE, YOU ARE PLAYING A GIRL; IF YOU LOSE YOU WILL SEE ME!”

BY Bernice Wambui - Juja St Peter's School
HER LEAGUE MEMBER & HER NEWS COLUMNIST

Bernice in the 2022 African Youth Chess Championship (AYCC)

By WCM Elect Bernice Wambui

I woke up very early in the morning. I had already started packing 2 weeks ago but finished on the day before. When we reached the airport, we got in line and waited. In the airport as we waited for my other friends we went to check in with our luggage. The parents joined us and presented my and their passports and Covid Tests. We prayed with all parents wishing us journey mercies and then we went to check in and left with the plane. We were connecting flights with Tanzania and Zimbabwe then Zambia; we were using air Tanzania. When we reached Tanzania, the staff were so nice. At the airport in Tanzania we were almost left by the plane. After getting our transit we boarded and took off. The planes did not have screens and we were so bored but the food was very good. It was an airbus.

Building bridges: Bernice and Team Kenya connect with Team Ethiopia

In the opening ceremony Zambia’s national anthem was really nice and beautiful to hear. 

Bernice with her teammates

In Zambia, I got 4 out of 9 points but playing in the open category (competing against both boys and girls) for the first time internationally, in an event which is mostly dominated by boys. In the first round, I played Elishi Prince Tonateni Ethan Kotokeni. I won; and I know he has such a long name. Before the round started, my opponent gave me a necklace with the Namibian flag. I lost the second and third round and after the third round, the South African that I played gave me a key chain with the South African flag. In the 4th round I played Chellah Lubuto, a Zambian, [while] in the 5th round I played an Ethiopian called Caleb Yared and I won. In the 6th round I played a Ugandan called Munakuye Manzi and I lost through a skewer, and in the 7th round I played a Namibian and I lost. [After winning in the eighth round], I played another Zambian in the 9th round; I won the game very easily in 20 moves and in less than 10 minutes. 

[During the AYCC match], just before [one of the] rounds started, my opponent’s father shouted at his son who was my opponent. After my mother had left he said to my opponent, “SEE, YOU ARE PLAYING A GIRL; IF YOU LOSE YOU WILL SEE ME!” And later after the game, GM Adly from Egypt, who was part of the arbitration, learnt about it and he told me that as a girl I will face a lot of insults but I should just brush them away then report immediately after the game to the arbiter or the chief arbiter and should not be affected by it. It is important to do so.

At the end of the tournament I had 4 points and the only one Kenyan girl U8; my friend Winnie Kaburo, got a medal and a trophy for first position. 

And in Zambia, I was presenting Kenya and The Gift Of Chess Foundation. I am very happy to be involved in passing The Gift of Chess to other children in Kenya and Africa at large.

“It is possible to do great things from a small place.” -

<The Gift of Chess> ‘Bernice Wambui, the current U8 Champion of Kenya (boys & girls), is using her platform to spread the Gift of Chess. This August in partnership w/ @chessinslums, @Tunde_OD, and @thegiftofchess, with Bernice’s help will bring an additional 5,000 free chess sets to Africa, for distribution across Nigeria, Kenya & Uganda. Bernice is building bridges with Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe & Egypt.’