These two images were posted on Zee’s blog about a year ago. Her husband helped his boss with a project for his daughter – in Primary School. He made this lovely chess set for her! Unfortunately, he didn’t get the highest marks as it wasn’t made by the girl herself. [hehe--stoute kabouter!] I think next time she will think twice before asking uncle Zee to do her school project. [*wink]
Connie is one of my online chess-friends – and keen blogreader – and we had some good chats about his 8year old twins. They are both keen chess players and even advised him about his moves against me. He was also informed by them that he didn’t stand a chance in our last game…[guess what, he wasn't impressed with their prediction, hehe] …two clever girls if you ask me. They took part in a tournament during August – in the Northern Cape region and have been selected to take part in the national Junior Chess Championships which takes place in December. Congrats to him and his family, I know the girls will do well. He’s sent me the tourney details and photos a while ago, but busy me, didn’t have the time to do a proper entry about them. So, here goes! I’ve quoted Connie’s comments here – in Afrikaans. His twins took the first two places. Enjoy the photos. If you don’t know the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, it is a vast area. You easily travel 400km from one town to another and that makes it difficult for all children to take part in chess activities in the Province, although some parents club together and share the travel costs. There were 7 rounds but u/8 played only 5 rounds and the remaining 3 rounds were only friendlies.
North Cape Chess – u/8 – 21 & 22 AUGUST – DE AAR
Results after round 5
No Name Score
1 BERNIZE 5.0
2 MARILIZE 4.0
3 STETHEN 2.5
4 JESSICA 2.0
5 CHRISSIE 1.0
6 ALBERT 0.5
Die doel was om die spelers wat by die ander toernooie goed gevaar het verder uit te sif vir die spanne vir die SA Juniors. O/8 is egter heel oopgestel omdat daar nie genoeg spelers was nie soos ek jou vertel het. Daar was omtrent 180 spelers almal saam, dis nou van o/8 tot seniors. O/8 was daar 8. Een het kort voor die begin ontrek en ‘n ander moes o/10 deelneem omdat hy in voor Des. verjaar. Die ses wat oorgebly het is nou almal in die o/8 span wat gaan deelneem in Des.(4 spelers en 2 reserwes). Daar was 7 rondtes vir alle ouderdomme maar vir die o/8 het net die eerste 5 getel. Die ander 2 was net vriendskaplike spelle.
Hulle het elke spel Wit begin met e4 en swart e5. Daarna was dit of Bc4 of Nf3. Dieselfde patroon ook met swart. Party spelle het hulle sommer Bc4 gevolg met 3. Df3 ( wat ek juis vir hulle gese het nie om te doen nie!) Dit het gevolg dat 2 van hulle 14 spelle nie eens 3 minute geduur het nie.(Scholars mate) Jy sal sien op een van die fotos, toe ek bo by die gallery kom om hulle af te neem, was Marelize reeds klaar. Bernize was in die foto nog besig om teen Stethen te speel.
Die was hulle 4de Amptelike toernooi. Daar was ook ‘n paar vriendskaplike spelle tussen hulle skool, Newton Laerskool, en Kimberley Junior. In hulle skoolspan is hulle nommer 1 en 2. Nommer 3 Ryno Annandale, is die een wat ontrek het by De Aar.
Hulle altwee se gunsteling kleur is wit, Bernize beweer hier dis nie so nie maar haar kwaadgeid as sy swart moet speel vertel ‘n ander storie… Daar is ongelukkig nie voor Desember nog ‘n amptelike toernooi nie. Dorpe in die Noord-Kaap is baie ver uitmekaar. Die 3 groot dorpe is almal omtrent 400 kilos uitmekaar wat die reelings en vervoer nogal duur maak. Noord Kaap skaak beoog wel informele toernooie vir oefening sowel as fondsinsameling. As ek moet skat speel die 2 ongeveer tussen 6 en 8 ure skaak per week. Partykeer minder, partykeer meer. Hulle oefen ook nou op die o/12 juffrou se aandrang saam met die o/12’s.
Please click on the images for a large, clearer view
Connie’s twins can be seen left and rigt at the end-table busy having serious chess-discussions with the boys.
Hmm…shall I move my bishop to D5 or….
Chess tournaments can be very exhausting for any 7-8 year old and the dads were clever to know that…or was it the mums!
World Youth Chess Championships 2009
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. -Herman Melville
While one should always study the method of a great artist, one should never imitate his manner. The manner of an artist is essentially individual, the method of an artist is absolutely universal. The first is personality, which no one should copy.
Did you know: Chess has the most extensive literature of any game, sport or pastime.
Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe –Indian proverb
Chess is the touchstone of the human intellect.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and the player on the other side is hidden from us--Thomas Huxley.
God created the world just like a knife and left it up to us to take it by the handle or the blade--C J Langenhoven
Jou persepsie hang waarskynlik alles af van hóé wyd jou opvatting van die poësie is-Joan Hambidge.
Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom.- Proverb. I doubt, therefore I think; I think therefore I am.-Rene Descartes-
Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.- Paul Tillich
He who knows nothing, doubts nothing. Spanish proverb. Wisdom begins in wonder.- Socrates
Val eerder in my sop as in my rede--Langenhoven
Seek in the past everything that is good and clean and build thereon your future...Paul Kruger
Vriende moet soos boeke wees, min, maar goed uitgesoek --Langenhoven
Friends should be like books, few, but hand-selected --Langenhoven
Goeie boeke en musiek verryk jou siel --Langenhoven
Good books and music enrich your soul --Langenhoven
Let those love now who never loved before. Let those who always loved now love the more. --Thomas Parnell
Love is like quicksand--the deeper you fall in, the harder it is to get out.
Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same.
There is no failure except in no longer trying--Elbert Hubbard.
The secret of success is the ability to survive failure --Noel Coward.
You cannot step twice in the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in--Knowing not how to listen is knowing not how to speak--Heraclitus, Fragments. Vuil wasgoed is om te was!-- Langenhoven
'I think one move ahead - but it is always the best move'-Reti
Some part of a mistake is always correct. - Savielly Tartakover
Chess teaches you to control the initial excitement you feel when you see something that looks good and it trains you to think objectively when you're in trouble.--Stanley Kubrick A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction.
Leo Tolstoy
Love is like a knife, it can stab the heart or it can carve wonderful images into the soul that will last a lifetime.
A rising tide raises all boats! - JFKennedy
The artist creates in order to free himself, only to find himself again in the end-Irma Stern
And think not you can guide the course of love. For love, if it finds you worthy, shall guide your course.Kahlil Gibran
Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.Tarrasch
Chess is a beautiful mistress.Larsen
Chess is as much a mystery as women.Purdy
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.Benjamin Franklin
Love is like a Game of Chess: One False Move and You're Mated ~ Anonymous~
Chess is the art which expresses the science of logic.Mikhail Botvinnik
The pawns are the soul of chess.Philidor
2009 - 2-12th July - Dortmund Live 2009
SA Open 3-11 July in Cape Town
MTel 2009
Chess effects the kids the world over. Distance between populated areas mentioned is no doubt a problem which seems by the photos to have been remedied to some extent.
Don.
Hi Don, Yes you’re right and some people will do whatever it takes to play chess.
Ek het al vergeet van die skool projek
EK het daardie link wat jy nie dag vir my gegee het, gesave vir sodra Z reg is 
http://www.chessblog.com/2009/09/st-christophers-by-sea-school-in-key.html
— toe ek hom geleer het en hy was “gewillig”. Maar elke kind is ook anders, jy sal weet wanneer hy reg is.
Hi Zee
Gaan loer bietjie na hierdie link. Dit is die vroulike wereld kampioen in Skaak se blog. Alexandra Kosteniuk. Sy het op hierdie link foto’s van kleintjies wat sy afrig. Haar eie dogtertjie is twee en op Twitter het sy anderdag vir my gese haar dogtertjie ken al die name en hoe die stukke skuif en dat sy haar nou gaan begin leer van wat ‘n goeie “opening” is. Ek het foto’s (tuis) van my eie seuntjie – hy was in die doeke –ok, dit IS bietjie OTT
Hi Nikita, thanks for the post and the kind words!
hi Connie! Dit is ‘n plesier…pleasure!
http://www.cpl.org/?q=node/10642
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cplfinearts/sets/72157615045095041/
Ek “bere” hierdie links hier om te kyk of ek die naweek tyd het om oor hierdie skaak-designs te blog. Dit is van Cleveland Library. – nogal waar Dan, my chess-friend vandaan is!