Chess tourney draws top players
Mossel Bay was the venue for a chess tournament that drew competitors from George, Gqeberha and Cape Town.
The Mossel Bay Chess Club organised the Open Chess Tournament at the Garden Route Casino as part of the annual Sports and Recreation Festival.
The chess extravaganza took place from Friday, 29 September to 1 October.
It started with the Blitz Tournament, where each player had to checkmate their opponent before the five-minute clock ran out.
This tournament was won by a youngster from Cape Town, Jiraan Braaf, who won 5.5 out of six games.
The silver medal was awarded to Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) or World Chess Federation master, Dr Shabier Bhawoodien, and Raynier Claassen (13) from the Mossel Bay Chess Club took the bronze.
Tiebreaks
Although both scored five out of six, the FIDE master led by tiebreaks. Antonio Michael from the Mossel Bay Chess Club won the prize for the Biggest Upset, and Suné Swart won the prize for Best Girl.
On Saturday, the Classical Tournament started, divided into three fiercely competitive sections: the A-section for
advanced players, the B-section for chess enthusiasts, and the C-section for junior prodigies. In the A- and B-Sections there were six rounds where each round took approximately three hours.
The C-section consisted of five rounds, where each player had 30 minutes to checkmate their opponent.
In the C-section, where the chess prodigies displayed their skills, it was Aaron Francis who emerged as the champion, showcasing extraordinary talent with a dazzling score of 4.5 points out of a potential five. Caitlin Douglas, from the George Chess Club, and
Mari Greeff fiercely contested second and third place, ultimately securing their positions with scores of four points each, separated only by tiebreaks.
Future stars
In the B-section, where the future stars of chess showcased their talent, it was young Kyle Thoresen from the Conville Chess Club who emerged as the victor, demonstrating exceptional prowess with a remarkable score of 5.5 points out of a possible six. Not to be outdone, Marvin Kiewiet and Mervin Claassen from the Mossel Bay Chess Club claimed second and third place with five and 4.5 points respectively.
In the A-section, the senior players demonstrated their experience and strategic mastery. Bhawoodien from Cape Town clinched the top spot with six out of six points. Tezihano Mnyasta secured second place with 4.5 points, while Jiraan Braaf, who also scored 4.5 points, proudly stood on the podium in third place.
The final rankings in all sections were determined through a tiebreak system that considered the individual strengths of the opponents, underlining the importance of every move made on the board.
For more information, contact Ralph Cloete (083 215 6241).