Attaining the highest accolade globally in chess, the prestigious Grand Master (GM), was the ultimate goal of Kenyan prodigy Barry Hawi Kaloki, his father Katana Kaloki has revealed.

But Hawi, who is former number one ranked Kenyan player in the game of wits and a key member of the national team, died on Monday before realising that dream. He turned 19 in January. His remains are being preserved at Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi, and will be interred on August 21 at the family home in Mbooni, Makueni County.

Friends, team mates, coaches and family members have described him as a hardworking, disciplined, humble young man who had good sense of humour and extraordinary talent in chess.

In an interview with Nation Sport yesterday, Hawi’s father Kaloki said he felt great pride in seeing his son shine in the sport, adding that it opened all doors for him in ways which he had never imagined.

Kaloki said Hawi was disciplined and hardworking young man who always spoke about becoming a chess Grand Master. Kenya has yet to produce a chess Grand Master.

Barry Hawi Kaloki in an earlier photo.

Photo credit: Pool

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“That is a guy I have never punished. He was obedient and very hard working. At school, he excelled in both arts and sciences. He was an all-rounder. He was always talking about being a GM,” Kaloki stated, adding that alongside Hawi’s younger sister, Woman Fide Master (WFM) Kaloki Zuri, they supported the youngster in achieving his dreams.

“He was self-driven and I encouraged him a lot. He knew how he could get scholarships for training. He had a very strong support base,” the father noted.

Former Chess Kenya chairman Githinji Hinga, who introduced Hawi to chess in 2017 at Brookside Preparatory School in Nairobi, said he had the potential of becoming a GM.

“Despite not being the best when he started, he was always improving to the point of surpassing the top players, which was a big lesson to us as (chess) teachers,” Hinga stated.

“He was definitely on the trajectory of being a Grand Master. He was hard working and consistent and the bonus was that he was super intelligent,” added Hinga.

Hawi was meant to finish his ‘A’ Level studies in November at Brookside Preparatory School in Nairobi. Before then, he was due to achieve a key milestone in his sporting career by making a maiden appearance at Chess Olympiad, the world’s premier chess tournament, in September.

The biennial tournament attracts national teams from across the globe to compete in two categories - Open Section and Women’s Section. Hawi died 37 days to the start of the 46th edition of the tournament, which is scheduled for Samarkand in Uzbekistan from September 15 to 27.

Hawi was due to represent Kenya in the Open Section alongside Kenya’s top ranked player, teenage Fide Master Jadon Simiyu, Candidate Masters (CMs) Robert Mcligeyo and Ben Magana, and Kuka Kyle.

Siblings Barry Hawi Kaloki and Zuri Kaloki (bronze medalist in Africa Juniors in 2025).

Photo credit: Pool

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Hawi’s sister, WFM Zuri, also qualified to represent Kenya in the Women’s Section of the Olympiad alongside WFM Sasha Mongeli, Woman Candidate Master Jully Mutisya, Madelta Glenda and Nicole Albright. WFM is the third highest chess honours in the women’s section of the sport after Woman Grand Master and Woman International Master. Traditionally, only the top five players in both the Open Section and Women Section of the Kenya National Chess Championship (KNCC) qualify to represent Kenya at the Olympiad.

Last year’s national championships in which Hawi qualified to represent Kenya was arguably the toughest since it featured only the country’s top 11 players rather than an open field in which anyone who registered could compete.

Former national champion, Victor Ng’ani, who is coach of Kenya’s Open Section team to the Olympiad, said Hawi was among the players they were banking on for a good performance at the global championship.

“To be honest, he (Hawi) is one of the players we knew would give the masters (international masters) a run for their money,” Ng’ani said.

Chess Kenya president Benard Wanjala rewards Barry Hawi Kaloki — Former Chess Kenya president Benard Wanjala (right) rewards Barry Hawi Kaloki with cash on January 1, 2026 after Hawi earned a berth to the national team to represent Kenya at the 2026 Chess Olympiad which will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from September 15 to 27, 2026.

Photo credit: Pool

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“We saw him during the 2025 Africa Youth Chess Championship in Zimbabwe where he was at the top against international masters, so we had a lot of hope and expectation (in him). It is unfortunate that he won’t be part of the team. It is a big loss to the country and the team as well,” he added.

Apart from the 2025 Africa Youth Chess Championship in Zimbabwe, Hawi represented Kenya in several international competitions, including at the World Junior Chess Championship in Brazil, the World Youth Chess Championships in Albania in 2025, and in Brazil in 2024.His most recent international appearance was with the national team at the Africa Individual Chess Championship in Botswana.

On the local scene, Hawi achieved several milestones. He became Kenya’s top seed in 2024 with a rating exceeding 2100, won the national junior Under-21 Championship in 2024, and became the Kenya under-18 champion in 2025. Last year, he was crowned the Most Valuable Player in the Kenya National Chess Premier League after ending the season unbeaten. He played for giants KCB Chess Club, who clinched the title.

Ng’ani said Hawi stood out owing to his tactical awareness, strong positioning and discipline on the board.

“He was a diligent player, very good tactically in terms of positioning. He had tremendous discipline on the board and he was consistent. Those are significant values that translate to good results on the board,” said the coach, adding that the team would seek to honour him by registering a strong performance in the Olympiad.

Reflecting on Hawi’s impressive performance in the league last year, his teammate at KCB Chess Club, Hugh Misiko described him as “the star of the team.”

“We are very sad about his loss because he was a nice person and a very talented player. KCB Chess Club won the league last season and he played a key role in that. He was named the league’s MVP, that tells you how good he was. Outside chess he was very humble and funny. He is someone you felt at home to be around,” Misiko said.

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