CHECK IT OUT, MATE. 4,000 PUPILS TO BATTLE ACROSS CHESS BOARDS
East Cape pupils to keep the flag flying at national chess tournament
More than 100 pupils from Eastern Cape schools will test their chess playing skills against their peers from other provinces at a national competition
More than 100 pupils from Eastern Cape schools will test their chess playing skills against their peers from other provinces at a national competition in Johannesburg next month.
The 103 provincial representatives will be divided into 10 teams as they hope to come out tops at the South African Junior Chess tournament between December 15 and 24.
The tournament this year will host over 4,000 pupils from schools around the country.
The provincial representatives will be from schools in Komani, King William’s Town and East London.
Non-profit organisation, Buffalo City Chess has been hard at work training pupils in the finer points of chess.
Schools that will take part in the tournament are John Bissiker, Stirling Primary and High, Hudson Park Primary and High and Clarendon High School in East London, De Vos Malan Primary and Dale College from King William’s Town, Queens Girls High from Komani and Holy Cross from Mthatha.
Lithitha Qangule from Clarendon High School said: “I started playing chess in Grade 6 I loved it immediately. I have not stopped playing ever since,” he said.
“I have been chosen to be part of the team that is going to Johannesburg for the South African Junior Chess tournament. There are four of us from our school; we are happy for the selection but at the same time we are worried about funding for the tour. Our parents cannot afford it,” said John Bisseker High’s Emmanuel Meyers.
Chess coach at Stirling Primary, Lynn Hill said “We make sure that our children get to the different venues for the tournament. We are behind them and we wish them the best.”
Buffalo City Chess president Ashley Vermaak said: “Our mission is to bring together all people in junior and senior chess by providing the highest possible standard of chess through promoting the interest of chess among all its members. We look to doing this through fostering interest in people for chess.”
Vermaak said there had been a vast improvement in the quality of provincial players.
“In 2016 we came back with one medal and last year we came back with 38 medals.
“We are hoping for even more medals this year.
“Our clubs are at the schools we deal with and so we work closely with teachers in the various schools,” Vermaak said.
Vice-president of the Buffalo City Chess Lenie Koekemoer said because of its nature to force pupils to think, pupils had over the years improved in terms of academic performance.
“We have seen students who were not doing well in their academics improve vastly. It’s as if chess brings a spark that opens up their mind.
“We have many success stories of students whose academics have improved ever since they started playing chess.
“We are putting Buffalo City on the map. Up until last year we did not make much of an impact in the tournament,” Koekemoer said.