Interview with Chess Connector, Adia Onyango
Adia Onyango is known as the “Chess Traveler” for her voyages to chess venues around the world. She frequents overseas locations but is also a mainstay in major U.S. tournaments. Long a chess promoter, she granted an interview with The Chess Drum during the 2023 Chicago Open and told us her chess story. A fun fact is that the Chicago Open was her first tournament in 1999.
In the interview, she talks about her travels and her long-awaited meeting with Oleiny Linares Napoles, an icon in Cuban chess. She also talked about her creation of Chess Connections Facebook group and other community-related activities.
Adia Onyango and Daaim Shabazz at the 2023 Chicago Open
The Chicago Open has become one of America’s marquee tournaments and while many of the top stars are no longer making the trek to Wheeling, Illinois, there are still some good stories. Adia is one of them. Take a listen!
Listen to Adia Onyango, The Chess Traveler
(41:12 minutes)
Adia Onyango in action at the 2023 Chicago Open.
Photos by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum