South Africa’s Woman Chess Grandmaster!

US Women’s Chess Championships 2009 »

South Africa’s Woman Chess Grandmaster!

30/08/2009 by Nikita

FIDE has recognised the achievements of Melissa Greeff [15] by indicating that she will be awarded the prestigious title of International Woman Grandmaster.CONGRATULATIONS Melissa!! You do us PROUD! Baie Geluk, Melissa, ons het hiervoor gewag, ons het eintlik geweet jy’s reeds ‘n Grandmaster, ons het slegs vir die aankondiging gewag! We already knew you were one… we’ve been waiting for the announcement only!! [news:official site: chessa.co.za]

You can see her Fide profile on this link. The link will open in a new window.

Click on this link this link to see her games during the “First Saturday” tournament in Budapest and on this link to play through her games interactively on chessgames and 365chess. Links will open in a new window.

Melissa – 15 year old student in her school uniform- photo:

herschel.org.za/news/senior-news/165/check-mate

Melissa vs Groetz at the Arctic Chess Challenge

The same time, congratulations to the Springboks! You are still my heroes when it comes to rugby!

The following message from Jennifer Shahade to Melissa:

Nikita: Send my congrats to WGM Greef! Her family was so hospitable when I was in SA, hope to visit again sometime soon.

[message on her site: jennifershahade.com]

Posted in African Chess, Chess, Chess Grandmasters, South Africa, South African chess, Woman Grandmaster | Tagged Chess Woman Grandmaster, Female Chess players South Africa, Melissa Greeff, skaak, Suid-Afrika skaak, Suid-Afrikaanse skaakspelers | 22 Comments

22 Responses

on 30/08/2009 at 17:43 Gideon

Baie geluk Melissa, dis fantasties! Wow, hoe oud is jy nou?

Groete

Gideon (WordWarrior op chess.com :))
- on 30/08/2009 at 18:25 Nikita
  
  hi Gideon, ek dink sy’s 17! 🙂
  - on 31/08/2009 at 05:02 Connie
    
    Baie geluk Meliissa, jy verdien dit! Nikita sy’s in 94 gebore , so sy is nou maar 15 🙂
    - on 31/08/2009 at 10:18 Nikita
      
      Dankie, Connie, ek wou eers sê sy’s 16! toe’s ek nie seker nie. 🙂 Haar skoolsite sê sy’s 14!
    - on 31/08/2009 at 20:34 Connie
      
      Volgens Chessa is haar geboorte datum 1994/04/15.
    - on 31/08/2009 at 21:54 Nikita
      
      Dankie Connie! Ek soek nog meer inligting oor haar vir ‘n artikel op die chess site. een admin-ou wil dit vir my plaas.
on 30/08/2009 at 18:06 chessiq

Congratulations! Very inspiring! I hope she goes on to win more tournaments, and that more people, especially Africans, become encouraged to play the Royal game.
- on 30/08/2009 at 18:26 Nikita
  
  hi chessiq! Thanks, yes, very inspiring for all others to follow.
on 30/08/2009 at 18:29 Tony

So jong, een grote skaak talent!
Sonder meer fantasties.

Skaak groet
- on 30/08/2009 at 18:32 Nikita
  
  hi Tony, goed om jou weer hier te sien, Dankie! Ek stem saam met jou. Skaak groetjes aan jou ook!
on 31/08/2009 at 09:41 SA Expats

Baie cool. Ons moet een of ander tyd ‘n online skaak game teen mekaar speel. 🙂
- on 31/08/2009 at 12:16 Nikita
  
  hi SA Expats…registreer op chess.com – link hier op my sidebar..waar jy die SA-vlaggie sien – ondertoe… 🙂
  O ja, ek moes jou uit Spam gaan red het, ek weet nie hoekom nie!
on 01/09/2009 at 16:59 jameshigham

You mean young chessmaster or overall chessmaster? If overall, is there something about young ladies which makes them better?
- on 01/09/2009 at 17:36 Nikita
  
  hi James, Melissa is now a Woman Chess Grandmaster. This is a specific title…like Anand…Kramnik..those guys are Chess Grandmasters. You have to earn this title, it’s not that i call her a chess grandmaster just because I like to do it. And you have to be good to be a chess Grandmaster! 🙂
  - on 02/09/2009 at 10:11 David
    
    Hi, this is not at all to disparage Miss Greef’s performance, but I must point out that Grandmaster (open to anybody) and Woman Grandmaster (restricted to women) are 2 different titles. The likes of Anand, Kramnik are GMs, Melissa has just won the WGM title. The requirements for WGM are significantly lower than those for GM.
    
    Still it is a great achievement by Melissa Greeff, especially at such a young age!
    - on 02/09/2009 at 17:28 Nikita
      
      hi David
      
      Sorry if you are sensitive about it….I was trying to explain to James that my entry isn’t a joke from my side…if you know what I mean. I wasn’t comparing her to them at all, it was just more examples of GM’s that he might now…or heard of. And also, I know about the male/female chess-thing, really silly if you ask me as we are just as good as men are. 😉
on 03/09/2009 at 17:41 Nikita

All the “Davids” out there… 🙂
http://bit.ly/o4EAW
hmm….see this link e.g.
WGM vs (male)GM
- on 03/09/2009 at 19:52 Connie
  
  As ek eendag groot is, wil ek so speel! 🙂 Alle mans is darem nie Davids nie. Baie van ons weet darem dat vroue net so goed kan speel as mans. Die ander mans ……… nou wat sal ek sê, sal hulle tyd mors deur stupid aanmerkings te los soos die een van meneer “D” As hy die tyd gebruik het om deur die blog te lees sou hy wel agter gekom het dat jy genoeg skaak kennis het om die verskil tussen WGM en GM te ken. Hoop nie hy verstaan Afrikaans nie……… 🙂
  - on 03/09/2009 at 20:33 Nikita
    
    hi Connie! Ja, daardie spel was nogal goed, in 19 skuiwe. En as jy my gaan verskoon, gaan ek jou ook in Engels beantwoord vir al daardie D’s 🙂 Natuurlik het hy nie vorige bloginskrywings van my gelees nie, daar sou hy gesien het hoe ek al die verskil aangedui het. Maar nou ja, jaloesie… LOL!
    
    Yes Connie, her game is brilliant, in 19 moves she had the GM checkmate, and this is not the only game she played against a GM! She’s beaten many GM’s before…I’m sure. She is also the Woman’s World Chess Champ…
    I believe David hasn’t read my previous entries on my blog as I have blogged before about the titles and the difference in the titles/categories. Some men won’t accept the fact that we are just as good and sometimes even better, I’m glad you don’t have a personality problem… it has nothing to do with body-strength here, so I can’t see why they have to have a ladies-category and a men’s category…silly. The only reason I think it is separate is because they wanted to promote chess mainly for women too…to get more women in chess and in that why…they have created a “problem” for themselves….and the chess world.
    Because of that…some men have this issue and think that men are better and it is not the case.
on 04/09/2009 at 09:33 martie preller

Woweeee – cooool vir miss Greef … 🙂 🙂
- on 04/09/2009 at 17:41 Nikita
  
  🙂
on 27/08/2020 at 21:46 First Chess Grandmaster for South Africa! | Chessalee

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