2026 Eldoret Open Chess Championship - Ladies Section
26 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 07 Feb 2026 to 08 Feb 2026 in Eldoret, Kenya. 2 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1697, and top seed was Elizabeth Cassidy Maina (🇰🇪 KEN, WFM, 1884).
Joyce Nyaruai Ndirangu (🇰🇪 KEN, WFM, 1821) won with 6.0/6, ahead of Elizabeth Cassidy Maina (4.5) and Nicole Albright (4.5). Ndirangu won solo starting round 3.
The biggest upset came in round 3: Towett Sharon Chelangat (1486) beat Genevieve Maashao (1764), a +278-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 6 roundsWFM Joyce Nyaruai Ndirangu led from R3; +1.5-point edge over the runner-up.
WFM Joyce Nyaruai Ndirangu never relinquished the lead after R3; final gap +1.5 over the runner-up.
WFM Joyce Nyaruai Ndirangu beat Nicole Albright (Black).
WFM Joyce Nyaruai Ndirangu won 6 in a row (R1–R6).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1WFMJoyce Nyaruai Ndirangu | * | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2Nicole Albright | 0 | * | — | ½ |
| 3WFMElizabeth Cassidy Maina | 0 | — | * | ½ |
| 4Shukri Shakirah | — | ½ | ½ | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ndirangu, Joyce NyaruaiWFM | 1821 | KEN | +4N | +8B | +3N | +2B | +10N | +7B | 6.0 | 21.0 | 24.0 | 24.00 | 2458 | +37.4 |
| 2 | Elizabeth Cassidy MainaWFM | 1884 | KEN | +6B | =5N | +15B | −1N | +9B | +11N | 4.5 | 20.5 | 23.5 | 15.50 | 1776 | -19.6 |
| 3 | Nicole Albright | 1789 | KEN | +11B | +19N | −1B | =5N | +12B | +4B | 4.5 | 20.0 | 22.0 | 14.00 | 1841 | +8.6 |
| 4 | Mutwol Cherry Jepchirchir | 1551 | KEN | −1B | +13N | +19B | +21N | +5B | −3N | 4.0 | 19.5 | 21.5 | 11.00 | 1702 | +28.0 |
| 5 | Shukri Shakirah | 1712 | KEN | +10N | =2B | +14N | =3B | −4N | +16B | 4.0 | 19.0 | 22.0 | 13.50 | 1735 | +7.2 |
| 6 | Kadenge Julia Kasei | 1557 | KEN | −2N | +9B | +22N | +17B | −7N | +10B | 4.0 | 18.0 | 19.5 | 11.00 | 1584 | +2.0 |
| 7 | Wangari Mary Emmaculate | 1457 | KEN | +24B | −12N | +20B | +15N | +6B | −1N | 4.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 10.00 | 1588 | +15.6 |
| 8 | Jumba, Gloria | 1763 | KEN | +18B | −1N | F | +20N | +23B | +13N | 4.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 9.00 | 1655 | -5.0 |
| 9 | Bhavsar Nisha Nileshbhai | 1508 | KEN | +12B | −6N | =16N | +22B | −2N | +14B | 3.5 | 17.5 | 19.0 | 9.00 | 1611 | +7.8 |
| 10 | Towett Sharon Chelangat | 1486 | KEN | −5B | +20N | +12B | +14N | −1B | −6N | 3.0 | 20.0 | 22.0 | 8.00 | 1520 | +3.6 |
| 11 | Shannon Bulimo | 1542 | KEN | −3N | =22B | +23N | =16B | +17N | −2B | 3.0 | 16.5 | 17.5 | 6.25 | 1482 | -4.8 |
| 12 | Maashao, Genevieve | 1764 | KEN | −9N | +7B | −10N | +25B | −3N | +24B | 3.0 | 16.0 | 17.0 | 6.00 | 1368 | -78.4 |
| 13 | Chepkoiwo Blessing Jerutich | 0 | KEN | +21N | −4B | −17N | +26B | +15N | −8B | 3.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 5.00 | 864 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Shalom Jepkosgei | 0 | KEN | +23B | +18N | −5B | −10B | +19N | −9N | 3.0 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 6.00 | 1464 | 0.0 |
| 15 | FIDE 554015189 | 0 | — | +17N | +26B | −2N | −7B | −13B | +23N | 3.0 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 4.00 | 872 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Faith Nyambura Gachihi | 1589 | KEN | −19B | +25N | =9B | =11N | +21B | −5N | 3.0 | 14.5 | 15.5 | 6.25 | 1369 | -46.0 |
| 17 | FIDE 554014581 | 0 | — | −15B | +24N | +13B | −6N | −11B | +26N | 3.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 4.00 | 748 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Kemboi Joy Jelagat | 1488 | KEN | −8N | −14B | +26N | F | +20B | +22B | 3.0 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 3.50 | 963 | -6.8 |
| 19 | Prudence Kimeli | 1485 | KEN | +16N | −3B | −4N | +24B | −14B | −21N | 2.0 | 16.5 | 17.5 | 4.00 | 1523 | +4.4 |
| 20 | FIDE 10865853 | 0 | — | +26N | −10B | −7N | −8B | −18N | +25N | 2.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 1.00 | 749 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Juliet Mithamo | 0 | KEN | −13B | F | +25N | −4B | −16N | +19B | 2.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 3.00 | 1421 | 0.0 |
| 22 | FIDE 10872728 | 0 | — | F | =11N | −6B | −9N | +25B | −18N | 1.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 2.50 | 1201 | 0.0 |
| 23 | FIDE 554001080 | 0 | — | −14N | +?B | −11B | F | −8N | −15B | 1.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 0.00 | 853 | 0.0 |
| 24 | FIDE 554014425 | 0 | — | −7N | −17B | F | −19N | +26B | −12N | 1.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 0.00 | 769 | 0.0 |
| 25 | FIDE 10888888 | 0 | — | +?N | −16B | −21B | −12N | −22N | −20B | 1.0 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 0.00 | 876 | 0.0 |
| 26 | FIDE 554015162 | 0 | — | −20B | −15N | −18B | −13N | −24N | −17B | 0.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 0.00 | 688 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Ndirangu, Joyce NyaruaiWFMKEN+37.46.0 pts · #1
- 2Mutwol Cherry JepchirchirKEN+28.04.0 pts · #5
- 3Wangari Mary EmmaculateKEN+15.64.0 pts · #11
- 1Maashao, GenevieveKEN-78.43.0 pts · #12
- 2Faith Nyambura GachihiKEN-46.03.0 pts · #13
- 3Elizabeth Cassidy MainaWFMKEN-19.64.5 pts · #3
- R3+278 Elo gap
- R1+256 Elo gap
- R5+161 Elo gap