Ngong Atem Tak, an 18-year-old refugee from the Kakuma camp in Kenya, is facing an uphill battle to participate in the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Despite being a talented chess player and the U-18 champion at this year’s National Youth and Cadet Championships in Kenya, Ngong and his teammates from Kakuma are still awaiting visas in Nairobi.
The Kakuma camp, established in 1992, houses refugees from various African countries. Ngong, who was born in the camp, has found solace in chess, which he believes makes life bearable. The ‘Chess for Protection’ project, run by Fide in collaboration with UNHCR and the Kenyan chess federation, has been operating in Kakuma since 2021.
Latvian trainer Sergejs Klimakovs, who worked with the players from Kakuma, was impressed by their skills. “They can calculate complicated variations, think at least seven moves ahead,” he said. “Their strength took me by surprise.”
However, the team’s journey to Budapest has been fraught with challenges. Documents for international travel have been a hurdle, and six playing members were diagnosed with malaria after arriving in Nairobi.
Despite the obstacles, Klimakovs believes the team has the potential to surprise if they make it to Budapest. “They understand that any tournament they play might be their only chance,” he said. “In Kakuma, there are frequent power blackouts, there isn’t enough food, and geographically it’s not the easiest part of the world from a peace point of view …but nothing is enough to rob them of the will to play chess.”
The team’s participation in the Olympiad would not only be a testament to their talent but also a symbol of hope for refugees around the world.
