Regional and provincial chess champions were among nearly 150 competitors battling it out over chess boards at the Sarah Baartman District Chess Union’s (SBDCU) Open Tournament on May 12 and 13.
The tough event, which took place at Fountains Mall in Jeffreys Bay, offered medals and prizes across several categories, with competitors under pressure to up their games in a heated race through six rounds.
“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,” said SBDCU head Gavin Persent. “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.”
Persent said that the four-section tournament was split into A, B, C and development sections, attracting enthusiastic players as young as six. He said that the development section catered 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.
Persent said that the top three winners in each section were Odendaal, Lagardien and Nkosi (A), James Chipunza, Spiro Clainos and Alexander Smuts (B), and best female Lathitha Magadla and Bronwyn Marx.
In the B section, James Chipunza, Spiro Clainos and Alexander Smuts took top honours, with Marx named best female. 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 supported some of their participants in the tournament.
