Bay’s junior chess whizzes head for SA championships

NINETY chess players from Nelson Mandela Bay will put their mental strength to the test when they compete at the South African Junior Chess Championships in Gauteng this weekend.

About 2 500 players from across the country will descend on the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg for the four-day competition.

The event, billed as one of the largest junior chess tournaments in the country, will see about 40 regional teams participating in age categories from U8 to U20.

Teams will consist of 10 members, all of whom will be vying for the top spot as they compete against the country’s best chess tacticians over seven rounds during the tournament.

The winner will be decided based on the number of points gathered at the end of the final round on Monday.

Speaking from Johannesburg yesterday, Marsha Rensburg, from Nelson Mandela Bay Junior Chess, said she was confident the players would do well.

“I don’t want to be preemptive, but I think our U8, U10 and U12 teams have a good chance of placing in at least the top three,” she said.

“But I think from U14 and up it is going to be very tough because these categories are very competitive.

“Traditionally, our toughest opponents tend to come from Western Province and Tshwane.

“They are our biggest nemeses I would say.”

Rensburg said the competition was tailored to be more of a team event, with the winning teams earning regional bragging rights.

She also said a wild-card tournament would be held at the same venue from January 9 to 12 for individual players, with a chance to grab a spot at the SA Closed Chess Championships later this year.

Chess SA president Winston Dalpat said the field was filled with top players from across the country.

“The sides are always strong, especially coming from Western Province and Gauteng,” he said.

“The Nelson Mandela Bay team are also quite strong, but it’s usually teams from the bigger chess hubs which do well.”