Chess Report

REPORT

Excited voices fill the passages every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon as the junior and senior boys wait eagerly to be allowed inside the library to start chess practice. We are at full capacity at both our junior and senior chess practices which shows just how much enthusiasm there is at Wynberg Boys’ Junior for the sport of chess. The chess boards are quickly packed out onto the tables as soon as the boys enter the library and the chess pieces are placed carefully in their positions, ready to take on their opponents in another fierce battle. Laughter, chatter, groans of frustration or exasperation and plenty of game analysis can be heard throughout the library as the boys challenge each other every week, all under the watchful eye of their coach, Miss Cronje.

“LAUGHTER, CHATTER, GROANS OF FRUSTRATION OR EXASPERATION AND

PLENTY OF GAME ANALYSIS CAN BE HEARD

THROUGHOUT THE LIBRARY AS THE BOYS

CHALLENGE EACH OTHER EVERY WEEK ... ”

While practices are about honing the boys’ skills while they play individually, at matches we are a team. Our chess team is made up of senior boys with their captain, Tayo Adriaan, leading the way. We have been very grateful to take up our usual season of matches again for the first time since COVID-19. The chess team competes in matches against other schools at home and away. Before matches begin, the learners line up to greet each other and then take their places at the tables, ready to put their minds to the test. Silence falls as the only noise comes from the tapping of chess pieces being placed strategically, moving all the time, hoping to get closer to checkmate. As the chess pieces are captured, the boys’ spirits might rise or fall. However, they know that no matter what the result of the game, their team of brothers will support them.

At the end of matches, in their usual show of excellent manners, the boys congratulate the other team on games well played, no matter the results. We have had many victories this year winning six matches and only losing two. While some of our Grade 7s will be moving on to play chess in high school, we have a very promising group of Grade 5 and 6 players, as well as many enthusiastic Grade 3s and 4s preparing for the day when they can represent their school in chess.

We continue to be a part of the African Chess Lounge which is an online programme. The boys are able to hone their skills, play against each other or play against opponents from other schools. When the Chrome books are taken out, the excitement level is even higher than normal. The boys beg Miss Cronje to let them try to take her on in a match! Another exciting activity for the boys is to watch videos of grandmasters playing chess matches with commentary from Miss Cronje as to how they can apply techniques and strategies to their own games. Overall, chess at WBJS is an exciting, challenging and rewarding experience for our boys and for the coaches and teachers involved. We look forward to what the future brings for our club!

Miss C Rowbotham, Miss T Cronje and Mrs S Graham SPORT

CHESS TEAM

BACK ROW: Mrs S Graham, Rhys Hill, Che Da Gama, Tayo Adriaan, Miss T Cronje FRONT ROW: Caleb Hugo, Annakin-Jay Smith, Zac Flowers

BACK ROW: Mrs S Graham, Cade Baxter, Damien Taberer, Cameron Quinn, Elijah Kalenda-Tshibala, Caden van der Westhuizen, Oscar Manley, Charles Dickson-Hall, Miss T Cronje MIDDLE ROW: Connor Le Roux, Bryan Kanyinda, Nicholas Taljaard, Asher Tadokera, Josh Mavesere, Jonathan Greyvenstein, Adam Rose, Tyler Elder FRONT ROW: Uthmaan Gamieldien, Tino Makuve, Zuhayr Meyers, Noah Samuels, Brett Liddell, Yusuf Parker, Luke Lawrence

SENIOR CHESS

BACK ROW: Miss C Rowbotham, Noah van Vuuren, Simon Baxter, Noah Saayman, Che Da Gama, Tayo Adriaan, Rhys Hill, Miss T Cronje FRONT ROW : Ze Yang Li, Ethan Owen-Collett, Benjamin Kuhn, Caleb Hugo, Siwoo Sung, Annakin-Jay Smith, Moeketsi Skeyi