Sasha Mongeli plays against Madelta Glenda during 2023 National Chess Championship, Ladies Section on December 29, 2023 at Nairobi Charter Hall.
Since 2018, Kenyan player Sasha Mongeli has been a dominant force in women’s chess, winning titles at local and international levels.
Now, the 30-year-old Equity Bank Chess Club player has raised her profile in the game of wits even further by becoming the first Kenyan woman to earn the prestigious Woman International Master (WIM) title.
In the women’s category, the WIM title is the second-highest honour after the coveted Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title.
The third highest honour is the Woman FIDE Master (WFM), followed by the final title of Woman Candidate Master (WCM).
Having previously held the WFM title, Mongeli joined the ranks of the world’s elite female players by earning the WIM title after clinching a bronze medal in the 2026 Africa Individual Chess Championship in Jwaneng, Botswana.
The continental showpiece attracted over 100 players and concluded on Thursday. By winning bronze at the continental championship, Mongeli also made history as the first Kenyan to win a medal at the 50th edition of the competition.
However, her WIM title is conditional, as her current FIDE Elo rating is around 1900, which is below the required mark of 2000 Elo.
According to FIDE regulations, a title awarded conditionally is only confirmed once the player has attained the required minimum rating.
Sasha Mongeli plays against Madelta Glenda during 2023 National Chess Championship, Ladies Section on December 29, 2023 at Nairobi Charter Hall.
“It is a big achievement for me, considering I’m now the first Kenyan to receive this title. It motivates me to work even harder,” Mongeli told Nation Sport on phone from Botswana.
She hopes to cross the 2000 FIDE Elo ratings mark before the end of the year.
“My plan is to play in more rated tournaments, as I want to confirm my WIM title before the end of the year,” added the three-time Kenya Women’s Chess Champion.
At the Africa Individual Chess Championship, Mongeli impressed by finishing second only to Egyptian siblings WGMs Shahenda and Shrook Wafa. The two siblings tied on 7.5 points after nine rounds, but Shaheda clinched the gold medal thanks to a superior tie-breaker.
Notable achievements
Mongeli came third at the event with 6.5 points. This is a remarkable performance, considering she entered the competition as the 17th seed based on her FIDE Elo ratings.
On her way to a third-place finish, Mongeli defeated South African WIM Anzel Laubscher and drew with Angolan WIM Esperanca Caxita.
Mongeli said her goal for the competition was to win a gold medal, which would have made her the first Kenyan to achieve the prestigious WGM title. She noted that losing to Shaheda in the second round had motivated her to try harder in the competition.
“My goal was to win the event. Losing my second game due to time, despite having a good position, motivated me to push myself harder. My goal remains achieving the prestigious WGM title.”
Mongeli took up chess after joining the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) in 2015.
During her childhood at Reuben Primary School in Nairobi and her teenage years at Starehe Girls High School, she played football and table tennis. She decided to take up chess at TUK due to the lack of table tennis at the institution.
Mongeli also won the Kenya Women’s Chess Championship in 2021, 2023 and 2024. She has been a regular member of the national team since 2018, taking part in the 43rd FIDE Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia.
It was at this event that she earned the WFM title, becoming only the third Kenyan woman to receive it.
Mongeli's other notable achievements include winning a gold medal with TUK at the East African University Games in Dodoma, Tanzania, and being named Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Sports Personality of the Month in October 2018, in recognition of her exceptional performance at the Olympiad.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
