Chess champions converge on J-Bay
● Nearly 150 competitors battle it out in two-day tournament
Dozens of chess players gathered in Jeffreys Bay to pit their skills against each other and determine who has the best moves in the region.
Regional and provincial chess champions were among nearly 150 competitors battling over the boards at Sarah Baartman District Chess Union’s (SBDCU) Open tournament earlier this month.
The two-day event at Fountains Mall on May 12 and 13 saw medals and prizes awarded across several categories where competitors were forced to up their game in a heated race through six rounds.
SBDCU head Gavin Persent said the calibre of the players was top class and illustrative of how the game was growing in the region.
“Eastern Cape junior and provincial players packed the line-up, including Kouga Mayor’s Cup chess winner Justin Rishworth, defending Fountains Mall champion JP Adams and Eastern Cape provincial chess champion Dumisa Nkosi,” Persent said.
“This sport is taken seriously across the province, and its popularity is growing.
“We also hosted local trials winner Lucas Mnguni, multiple Nelson Mandela Bay trials winner Ismaeel Lagardien, candidate master Neathan Peter and the tournament’s highest-rated player, Frederick Odendaal.”
The four-section tournament was split into A, B, C and development sections, attracting enthusiastic players as young as six years old.
The development section caters for new players and had the most entries, with a total of 54 competitors.
Several schools and clubs took part, including Makukhanye Primary School, Pharos School, Pellsrus Primary School, Graslaagte Primary School, Jeffreys Bay Primary, Stulting Primary, St Francis College, Hoërskool McLachlan, Humansdorp Secondary School, Kruisfontein Primary School, Victory Christian School, Nico Malan High, School, Jeffreys Bay Comprehensive High School, Victory 4 All, Humansdorp Chess Club, Rhodes University Chess Club, Jeffreys Bay Chess Club and Youth Chess Academy.
The top three winners in each section were Odendaal, Lagardien and Nkosi (A), James Chipunza, Spiro Clainos and Alexander Smuts (B) and best female competitors Lathitha Magadla and Bronwyn Marx.
Section C top scorers were Bruce Myburgh, Jake Hobson and Conor Howell, with Sinovuyo Charlie as best female.
Development winners were Marcel Geldenhuys, Robby Stamps and Somila Ngqoyiya, with Riyana Pullen as best female.
Eastern Cape Chess interim president Luzuko Ndinise and Nelson Mandela Bay Chess Union representatives also came to support their participants in the tournament.