Sabure breaks chess Olympiad jinx
For many years, the Sabure family dominated chess in Botswana. Their best moment came when Tuduetso Sabure was awarded the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title, making her the first recipient of the title in southern Africa in 2005. She has a sister, Woman Candidate Master (WCM), who also made her name on the chess chequerboard.
In their shadows is the young Bojosi, who harboured big dreams of playing in the chess Olympiad. From the age of 12, Bojosi placed his heart and mind on making the cut for the national team.
In all his pursuits over the years, the player never found his footing and always missed qualification by a whisker. Bojosi’s story is that of sheer determination and patience. At one stage he won his first four games during the qualifiers but lost the critical two, which meant he fell short again. Bojosi’s patience finally paid off when he made his national team debut and qualified for the FIDE Olympiad 20 years later at the age of 35.
Now, after a commanding display during the Olympiad held in Chennai, India, Bojosi is now a Candidate Master (CM) titleholder.
Mmegi: When did you start having an interest in chess?
Bojosi: From an early age, when I was about eight-years-old, around 1996. My eldest brother introduced us to the game. He bought a chess set and taught us to play and it became a family game, along with cards.
Mmegi: You took long to make it to the national team. How did that make you feel?
Bojosi: Yes, it took some time to break into the team and this was mainly due to the fact that I have not really made an effort. Other things took my attention. The first time I attempted to qualify was in 2007 or 2008. Sport politics also happened, which is a topic for another day. But I tried many times to qualify. Playing for the national team was something I have long wanted to achieve before I retire.
Mmegi: When did you start fighting to be in the national team?
Bojosi: It was in March this year when it was announced that the top 30 rated players would be going for playoffs as the selection criteria for the team and luckily my rating qualified me at the time.
All this time I knew that whenever the team is selected via playoffs, I knew I would make the team because I am that good. I deliver on a good day.
Mmegi: Congratulations on your success at the Olympiad. How did you achieve the feat?
Bojosi: Truth be told, the requirements are not that stiff taking into consideration the board I played on and my playing strength. It was bound to happen.
Mmegi: What is your favourite piece on the chessboard and why?
Bojosi: I do not really have a favourite piece because I am an unorthodox kind of player. I do not follow the rules of how the game is played so I rely entirely on my intuition and creativity to make the most out of every position. The same goes for the pieces, I make preferences of what piece to favour depending on the position at the time.
Mmegi: What has been the greatest highlight of your career thus far?
Bojosi: Obviously, it is playing at the Olympiad. It was the world stage and it has eluded many who have been in the team before me.
Mmegi: Which of the two moves do you prefer, e4 or d4 and why?
Bojosi: E4 all day, every day, because it allows a player to express their creativity and ingenuity.
Mmegi: How has chess impacted your life?
Bojosi: Sadly in this continent, chess is not that developed to make a living out of it hence it will always take the back seat when it comes to improving one’s quality of life but that is not all. Personally, it has broadened the scope of my mind, fortifies my soft skills and generally changed my approach to life situations and how to best navigate them.
Mmegi: How much time do you spend working on chess every day and do you have a regular programme?
Bojosi: I do not have a routine. I spend most of my time at work. Sometimes I work over the weekends and holidays as well so, the little time that is left after work, I use it for social calls and all that. I do spend some time playing internet chess (thanks to COVID-19) where I play blitz games only. My preparation for a championship comes once in a while usually for about 10 minutes, just to check out a few ideas but I rely entirely on abilities and creativity.
Mmegi: Who is your favourite chess player and why?
Bojosi: Grand Master (GM) Viswanathan Vishy Anand, the last world champion before GM Carlsen Magnus simply because the man has been around circles for a long time but competing at the top level consistently. He is also a humble guy, unlike most chess superstars that have an attitude.
Mmegi: It has been said that a chess player’s personality is mirrored or reflected by their chess style (positional, tactical, and strategic). What are your thoughts on this?
Bojosi: It is true to some extent but not always. From personal experience, being good at chess gives some people the idea that they are superhuman than the rest and tend to be more aggressive and reckless in life thinking they can evade everything life throws at them. However, I still believe we all have our own personas ingrained at birth. Chess is merely a catalyst to expose you in a way. I agree with the notion. Funny enough, I am aggressive on the board and the opposite in life.
Mmegi: What do you think is the right age to start playing chess?
Bojosi: Starting early is an advantage but I am inclined to believe that how far you go in chess depends on your God-given intelligence so the age at which one starts chess has no bearing on how good the person will be. Personally, I know chess to be addictive so I would recommend it to kids at about eight years, who already have a moral compass if I may say so.
Mmegi: Why would you encourage anyone to take up chess?
Bojosi: It is a sport like any other sport but it will broaden their cognitive skills, and instill resilience and the ability to evade sticky situations safely.
Mmegi: How will you describe your chess style?
Bojosi: Aggressive and relentless fighter who will come at you with everything.
Mmegi: How would you like to be remembered as a player?
Bojosi: A unique player who did things unconventionally but still got the results. Leave a fingerprint that is specific to me.
Mmegi: What do you think it will take for Africa to have a world chess champion?
Bojosi: There has to be a special programme that is dedicated to providing full-time training to its participants.
The programme should be responsible for the well-being of the participants such that they only worry about becoming GMs, everything else is taken care of for them.
Mmegi: What is your typical day like?
Bojosi: Sleep, work, repeat the cycle. I am a normal person with work commitments, family, and social responsibilities like every other person.
Mmegi: What is your marital status?
Bojosi: I am single for now.
Mmegi: What makes you happy?
Bojosi: Travelling, playing chess, and hanging out with friends.
Mmegi: What is your favourite meal?
Bojosi: Pap and seswaa
Mmegi: Your date and place of birth?
Bojosi: May 5, 1987, in Maun.