World is young chess fundi’s oyster
A BRIEF interaction with chess fundi Naseem Essa helps one understand why he is ranked among the top junior players in South Africa.
The 14-year-old from Overport is calm, calculated and oozes confidence.
Earlier this month, he won the national Under-14 division title at the South African Junior Chess Championships, which was held in Joburg, coming top of the 29-player field.
It was a victory that followed fourth- and second-place finishes in the competition in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
“It feels pretty good to win after a few years of missing out on the top spot,” Essa said.
In a challenging and high-pressure final, he defeated Cape Town’s Eton Dante to claim the title.
“I had a rocky start after losing my first game of the competition,” he explained. “I knew that I was capable of coming back strongly, so I decided to focus on the rest of tournament. I won seven games consecutively after that.”
The victory has opened the door for Essa to again compete internationally. He will now represent South Africa as the official player in the coming World Youth (Uruguay), African Youth (Egypt) and Commonwealth (India) tournaments.
The Grade 8 pupil, who attends Glenwood Boys’ High, only began playing competitive chess six years ago after his father introduced him to the game.
Now he boasts an impressive passport, having competed in Zambia, Tunisia and Russia over the past few years.
He said: “There is a big difference in competition at international events.
“In South Africa, you think you have done well but that is small compared to what lies ahead. There are young players who are really highly ranked abroad. It is humbling to say the least.”
The bumper playing schedule means Essa has already started preparing for his travel.
“I am going to be working with a lot of theory. It will be important for me to study books on my end and middle game. I will have to read and make my own notes. Playing practise matches can only get you so far at this level.”
His ultimate goal is to reach the level of Grandmaster, the highest ranking which can be achieved by a chess player.
Kenny Solomon is apparently the only player in South Africa to have reached Grandmaster status.
“Becoming a Grandmaster has always been my goal,” Essa said, “purely because we only have one in the country and I know that more players achieving it will help to improve the sport as a whole.
“Chess means everything to me. The sport has consumed me ever since I made my first move on a chessboard.”