Record Turnout at East Africa Zonal Qualifiers in Nairobi (Zone 4.4)
The 2026 FIDE Zone 4.4 Individual Championship concluded in Nairobi after 9 intense classical rounds, setting a new continental record for participating nations in the Eastern African zone.
Players from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, and Eritrea competed for direct International Master (IM) and Woman International Master (WIM) titles.
The event produced two new Candidate Masters and solidified Zone 4.4's standing as one of the fastest-growing competitive chess hubs on the African continent.
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