War-time Chess

A HUGE thank you to Anton Roetz, who visited my blog a little while ago. Anton made me aware of this piece of interesting history. I absolutely love to know that this is what some soldiers did during the Anglo-Boer War to entertain themselves and even more to know what one farmer did. Read this interesting piece of information. Information from the site of Cradock-info.

During the early 1900s, British soldiers created a chessboard or chequers board on the top of Saltpeterskop, a 1514m high koppie (hill) in the Park. While using the peak as a lookout point during the Anglo-Boer War, they played chess or chequers with their fellow soldiers on the next lookout point, the Old Fort in Cradock, transmitting moves by means of a mirror, which had the official purpose of communicating warning signals.

The story goes that a certain farmer – unbeknown to the soldiers – picked up the signals and started a game against the soldiers while sitting on the stoep of his farmhouse.

The chessboard and the names of the soldiers are etched onto a flat slab of rock at the top of Saltpeterskop, which is the first koppie on the right as one drives into the Park.

Names recorded include Corporal Pegram of the 1st Coldstream Guards, Corporal Hutchinson, Private W. Chambers of the 5th Lancaster Fusilliers, and many others with dates in 1901 and 1902. The chessboard is still visible today and can be accessed on a guided hike with a SANParks guide.

Salpeterkop was supposedly named after a cave on the hill which provided a supply of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), a substance used in the manufacture of gunpowder for firearms in the early days. The cave was reported to have collapsed and its location is not known today.

Salpeterkop Graves Image: Cradock-info.co.za

Salpeterkop image: Thegreatkaroo.com

Twitter – SANParks

Mountain Zebra National Park – Chessboard — It is believed that the chessboard was created
during the early 1900s by British soldiers. They created the chessboard or draught board on a rock on top of Saltpeterskop, a 1 514m high hill.

Names of the British soldiers engraved on the chess board on Salpterkop

Resource link: https://www.cradock-info.co.za/town/article/1270/mountain-zebra-national-park-cultural-heritage-sites

https://www.thegreatkaroo.com/listing/cradock_excursions_salpeterkop_hike

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South African Women’s Open 2012

Bloemfontein [ˈblum.fɔn.ˌtɛi̯n] is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa’s three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.

Bloemfontein is popularly and poetically known as “the city of roses”, owing to the abundance of these flowers and the annual rose festival held there. The city’s Sesotho name is Mangaung, meaning “place of cheetahs”.

Logo – Free State Chess

The South African Women’s Open Chess Championships start tomorrow – 9th August [Women’s day in South Africa too!] in Bloemfontein. The Venue is Kruitberg Primary School. The tournamnent ends on the 12th August. I hope for some results and photos from Chessa, whilst the tournament is on, meanwhile – enjoy some photos of the capital.

Results: SA Women’s Open 2012 -please click on the image for a larger view

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South Africa Women’s Open Chess Championship 2008

GM Dimitri Reinderman in SA…image: www.chessa.co.za the Official site.

Well done to Marlene Roets who was the only player to draw against special guest Grand Master, Dimitri Reinderman, in the simultaneous event, where he participated against 25 women.

EZET ROOS: SA Women’s Open Chess Champion 2008

Source: www.gjca.co.za

 Other Chess news: Congratulations to our 2 top players and coaches Daniel Cawdery and Monique Sischy who will represent South Africa at the Olympiad in Dresden, Germany in November. We are proud of you.

Image: gjca.co.za

SA Women’s Open 2008

SA Women’s Open : Pairings round 4…source: Gauteng Junior Chess Association

This is only the pairings for the first 10 boards, see  http://www.gjca.co.za for more pairings

SA Women’s Open 2008: Final results after round 5

Small message to Chessa: Please, this is an Official Tournament! It could make my task a lot easier if this was published on your Official site, which is Chessa! Gauteng Juniors is not SA’s official site!

As soon as I have more news… I will update this post! hmmm…I could update it at last! with hours of searching and sniffing….and at last found info on a non-official site…Gauteng Juniors…thank you! Gauteng Juniors for publishing the results and the pairings…I do hope Chessa take notice of my message to them! Meanwhile, if you have zillions to spend, then Cresta is for you…a shopping centre in Randburg..near Jo’burg..hop off your flight and hop into this shopping centre…

Cresta 

Results of the SA Open Chess Championships- Section A : July 2008

See more results here: http://www.chessa.co.za/SAOpen2008.html

South Africa’s top 10 female chess players…19/8/2008

The number after the date of birth, is the number of games played…

1 SOLOMONS, A (ANZEL) 1978/01/06 2025  38
2 GREEFF, M (MELISSA) 1994/04/15 1947   27
3 SISCHY, MS (MONIQUE) 1987/12/04 1872 0
4 WIID, D (DALEEN) 1991/11/06  1861  50
5 PISTORIUS, R (RIANI) 1985/03/07  1845  12
6 DE JAGER, C (CARMEN) 1989/01/17  1843  28
7 ELLAPPEN, J (JENINE) 1986/03/25  1821  0
8 FRICK, D (DENISE) 1980/11/26  1812  19
9 ROOS, E (EZET) 1991/03/22  1783  29
10 DE WAAL, I (INGRID) 1990/07/17  1749  34

See the rest of the top 100 female players on this link:

http://www.chessa.co.za/TopWoman.html

Other chess news: from Chessa-site: Congratulations to D Solomons, A Goosen, D Van den Heever, J Ophoff, H.R Steel and D Cawdery who have been awarded their CM Titles

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Watu Kobese vs Rian Cox

Watu Kobese IM (South Africa)..Image: farm1.static.flickr.com

This is a news article about Watu playing chess on the 29th June in Pretoria in a simul to raise money for the Ramlodi chess festival in July. A Grade 7-student (u/14) checkmated him in a game! Rian Cox is also a Springbok Chess player.
Read more about the RAMLODI Chess Festival here and you can visit the Official site here …
On THIS LINK you can play through his games on Chessgames.

On THIS LINK you can read about the Chess simultaneous on the Kolonnade Centre’s site.

Skaakkampioen kom toe ’n Ermeloër teë
Jun 29 2008 06:13:41:670PM – (SA)

Mnr. Watu Kobese, Suid-Afrika se skaakmeester met die hoogste gradering tans, het Pretorianers – 40 van hulle – eergister by die Kolonnade-inkopiesentrum in Pretoria die stryd aangesê.

’n Oorlogsveld van 40 skaakborde is staangemaak terwyl Kobese opponente begin lok het.

“Ek glo skaak kry nie genoeg erkenning in Suid-Afrika nie. Selfs die onderwysdepartement moet verstaan dat skaak help met jou leerwerk en kognitiewe denke,” het die skaakfoendi gesê.

“ ’n Skaakbord het ’n X- en Y-as wanneer ’n mens byvoorbeeld aan wiskunde dink. Skaak is baie goedkoop en jy het geen spasie nodig daarvoor nie. Skaak is vir my soos musiek en kuns. Dis ’n intellektuele plesier. Dit leer jou ook om jou opponent te respekteer.

“Daar word gemeen dat skaak jou sosiale karakter weerspieël. Ek is ’n baie aggressiewe onkompromistiese speler. ’n Mens moet skaakfiks wees. Sodra jy slaplê, verlaag jou sin vir gevaar. ’n Rede vir my sukses is die vermoë om vinnig variasies te bereken op die skaakbord.

Soos ek aanstap van een opponent na die volgende, hou ek my moeilike opponente in gedagte en werk solank aan daardie skuiwe in my kop. Ek vrees Russiese spelers die meeste. Hulle leer skaak van vroeg af op skool.”

Terwyl die tuisopponente peinsend die skaakbord voor hulle bestudeer, stap Kobese al skuiwende van een spel na die volgende. “Skaak laat jou verder dink,” vertel Werner Buys (10) van Rayton. “Skaak is werklik fun en dit gee ’n mens kans om jou tyd ordentlik te bestee.”

En toe kom die groot gif in die klein botteltjie. Uit die 47 skaakspele wat Kobese gespeel het, was een spel ’n probleem.

’n Gr. 7-leerling van Ermelo en ’n o.14 junior skaak-Springbok, Rian Cox, vertel: “Ek het my ruiter vir twee van Watu se pionne opgeoffer, dit alles om Watu se koning oop te kry. En in die 21ste skuif was dit skaakmat.”

Hannah Kneen–8jr — van Johannesburg hou die volgende skuif van mnr. Watu Kobese, ‘n skaakmeester, dop. ‘n Geldinsameling is die naweek by die Kolonnade-inkopiesentrum in Pretoria gehou vir die Ramlodi-skaakfees wat op 18 Julie in Pretoria begin. Foto: Leon Botha

Source: http://www.news24.com/Beeld/Suid-Afrika/0,,3-975_2349020,00.html

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Chess with the Grandmasters in South Africa

Picture: Johan Steenkamp – facing the camera.
 Note: Centurion is near Pretoria, about 10-15 min drive from Pretoria on your way to Jo’burg. (Johannesburg). Centurion is this year 100 years old!

Chess players about to make their move
LISA DEWBERRY

Februarie 2008

The Centurion Chess Club will soon be presenting one of the biggest chess tournaments of its kind in Gauteng and the only South African tournament listed on the international Fidé Calendar.
The 16th Annual Centurion Chess Open Tournament will be presented at the Kleinkaap Conference Centre in Clubview from 30 April to 4 May.

Johan Steenkamp, of the Centurion Chess Club, says the various sections of the event will open doors for all chess players regardless of their playing strength.

The section for players of 13 years and younger will be played on 1 and 2 May only, while the more experienced players can participate in either an A or B section from 1 until 4 May.

“Seven rounds will be played during the tournament and players can compete in four divisions including an elite division which displays the ability of some of the best players in Southern Africa,” says Steenkamp.

According to him, this tournament attracts more than 250 players each year and boasts as being the tournament with the most prize money in Gauteng.

“For the first time ever, the club will present an internationally recognised section to start on 30 April.

“Some grandmaster and international master players from countries as far as the Ukraine have already indicated they wish to participate,” says Steenkamp.

He says that he and other members of the Centurion Chess Club are planning to take part in the tournament and says that the Centurion Chess Club is arguably the best chess club in South Africa.

“The club prides itself on developing high calibre chess players through rigorous competitive programmes. Last year for the seventh time in a row, the Centurion Chess Club’s A-team won the Gauteng Premier League,” says Steenkamp.

He says that this is a record number of wins and a record number of consecutive wins since the start of the league in the Seventies.The club has also won the South African inter-club tournament and been host to the prestigious BIS Open Chess Tournament.

The Annual Centurion Chess Open Tournament is open to all chess players. For more information visit http://www.centurionchessclub. co.za.
Read the news article in it’s original form HERE …

Read HERE what I’ve said this morning about Elise Steenkamp- in the comments…
Click HERE to see a map of Centurion.

Need a place to stay?

Image: Centurion Lake Hotel…Click HERE for details and more places.

Image: Stefan Du Toit, Grade 7, the new SA o/14 Chess Champion. He’s from Tygerpoort Primary School, Pretoria.


 

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South African Women’s Closed Chess Championship 2008 Final Results

Congratulations  to :

Carmen de Jager

as  the

South African   Women’s  Closed  Chess  

Champion  2008!

2^nd : Monique  Sischy

3^rd : Anzel  Solomons

 On the picture…from left…Carmen, Anzel and Monique.

Click HERE for results on other rounds and a link to the official site.

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SA Women’s Closed Chess Championship 2008

Results after round 6! Round 7, the last round, will be played tomorrow morning local time 8:30 in Cape Town. By looking at this table, you can see Carmen in the lead with Monique in the second place.

See more pictures HERE and the official results.

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SA Women’s Closed Chess Championship 2008

The South African Women’s Closed Chess Championship 2008 is now taking place in Cape Town till the 12th January! You can read more on this link here , the site of SAJCA. Here are results after round 5 !  Round 6 will be played tomorrow at 11am — 11th January! —- Round 7, the last round is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 local time.

On the picture are the players taking part in this Chess Championship!
CINDI MBALENHE, JENINE ELLAPPEN, EZET ROOS, MELISSA GREEFF,
CARMEN DE JAGER, ANZEL SOLOMONS, MONIQUE SISCHY, LAETITIA VAN WYK

See more photos on the red link in the top of my post.

 

 

On THIS LINK you can play through a game of Melissa Greeff played on the 25th January 2008 against Linda Marie Hansen during the Gibraltar tournament.

And VERY sad news about 17yr old Jamie Tindill on this link.

 

 

 

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African Junior Chess Championships Final Results

afjun07finalgirls.doc     afjun07finalboys.doc

 

 

Well done to all the South African players particularly Daleen Wiid for winning the Girls section, Carmen de Jager for 2nd place and Calvin Klaasen for his second place in the boys section.  The boys section has been won by Kareim Wageih (Egypt).

Ryan van Resnburg was 3rd in the boys section, Lthuekela Zitha 5th, Melissa Greeff 6th (boys) and Angelique Hattingh was 7th in the girls section. You can click on the two doc-links to download the final results or you can click HERE ….. for the official site of the SA Junior Chess Association. Links will open in a new window.

Egyptian, South African win Africa junior chess
BY Mphatso Malidadi
12:05:21 – 08 January 2008

Egyptian top seed Kareim Wagein and South African Wiid Darleen on Sunday won this year’s Africa junior chess champions in boys and girls respectively during the week-long event that was staged at the elite Kamuzu Academy.
Wagein, who accumulated 7.5 points, and Darleen were rewarded with international master title status
South African Calvin Klaasen finished as Wagein’s runner-up with 6.5 points while his compatriot Ryan Van Rensburg came third with 5.5 points.
In the girls category, Carmen De Jarger emerged second while Rocha Valquiria was third.
However, the three Malawian flag carriers failed to make it into the top three positions in the open category which saw South African girl Melisa Greef taking part in the boys group.
Despite failing to make it into top three, the country’s ambassadors showed they had made strides in the competition as they occupied better positions unlike in the previous competitions where they had ended at the bottom.
Chuma Mwale finished eighth with five points, national junior champion Chiletso Chipanga came 11th, national champion Joseph Mwale came 14th in the event that had 23 participants.
Read the entire article HERE ….

     

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