CHESS

IMMIGRANTS were the inspiration of South African chess in the early 20th century. They were the players who got the game going before the end of apartheid in 1994.

Most have heard of six-time champion, Wolfgang Heidenfeld and his friend and rival Kurt Dreyer who were German Jews fleeing the Nazi regime in the 1930s.

But there were earlier stars who won the SA Championship. The Lithuanian Alexander Chavkin, who took part in all the championships between 1912 and 1939.

Then Bruno Edgar Siegheim (May 24, 1875 in Berlin, Germany – November 5, 1952 in Johannesburg).

He took third, behind Julius Finn and Hermann Keidanski, at New York 1903 (The Rice Gambit tournament at the Manhattan Chess Club).

Then, he twice won South African Chess Championship (1906 and 1912), and lost to Max Blieden in challenge (1910), defeated Harry Duhan in challenge (1911), and defeated Henk Meihuizen in challenge (1912).

After World War I, he tied for fifth-sixth at Malvern 1921 (Frederick Yates won), and shared second with Richard Réti, behind Akiba Rubinstein, at Hastings International Chess Congress in 1922/23.

He also played a match with Mir Sultan Khan at London 1929.

❏❏❏ A game between two immigrants: From the 1924 SA Championship in Durban.

White: Dr James McCord. Black: Alexander Chavkin

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Be3 Bb6 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. O-O

Ne7 9. h3 Ng6 10. Qe2 Bd7 11. Kh1 Qc8 12. Nh2 c6 13. Ndf3 Bc7 14. Bb3 d5 15.

Bc2 b6 16. Rg1 Qa6 17. Rge1 Rae8 18. b3 Nh5 19. g3 Bxh3 20. Ng5 Nhf4 21. gxf4 exf4 22. Nxh3 fxe3 23. Qxe3 Qc8 24. f4 Qd8 25. Rg1 Kh8 26. e5 f5 27. Rxg6 hxg6 28. Ng5 Qxg529. fxg5 Rxe5 30. Qf3 Rfe8 31. Nf1 Re2 32. Rc1 b5 33. d4 Kg8 34. Bxf5 gxf5 35. g6 Bd8 36. Qxf5 Bf6 37. Ng3 Rxa2 38. Nh5 Rae2 39. Nxf6+ gxf6 40. Qxf6 Rf8 41. Qh4 resigns.

❏❏❏ A notice on the Chessa Website: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Chess SA president (Eldo Smart) has relinquished his full powers as president, as per the Chess SA Constitution, to Winston Dalpat (Chess SA Vice-President 1), with immediate effect until he resumes active duties again. Dalpat will now assume the position of Chess SA acting president.

❏❏❏ There is no African Continental Championship, but The Asian Continental Championship has begun in Chengdu, China with most of the brightest stars of Asia in contention for five World Cup spots in the Open.

China’s Wang Hao is ahead of the pack.