Schools to battle for chess title
The tournament will be played online from February 10 to 24. The draw is on February 7.
Hoërskool Hans Moore, Hoërskool Brandwag and Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen will participate in the Alexforbes Battle Boards Chess Championship between February 10 and 24.
Launched last December, this online team tournament aims to break barriers and establish itself as the most accessible and affordable national high school sports tournament.
The schools are among 128 high schools from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Western Cape that will compete for the grand prize.
The competition will begin with the provincial pools and the top 32 schools will compete for top honours.
Growing the sport
The chairperson of the executive committee of Battle Boards and president-elect of the Chess South Africa executive board, André Lewarks, emphasised the importance of the championship.
He said the tournament will contribute to the development of chess among learners and foster a collective passion for the game within school communities.
“By embracing the inherently inclusive nature of chess, our goal is to make it more accessible, ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds can actively participate and enjoy the sport,” said Lewarks.
Encouraging strategic thinking
According to Alexforbes executive Viresh Maharaj, one of the life skills chess can develop is the ability to think critically, a skill highly sought by global employers.
Maharaj said the lessons and values of chess are relevant in many aspects of life, including investing in your future.
“Being able to plan, making the most of the pieces on the board and adapting as the circumstances change are skills we can all use.
“We believe chess is a mechanism to develop these skills, and we want to make the game more appealing and accessible to a much broader audience across SA. Chess is not just for the few; it is actually for all of us,” he said.
Draw
The national draw for the championship will be available on February 7 on the Alexforbes Battle Boards Chess Championship website, where supporters can receive real-time updates or live-stream matches.
Visit www.battleboards.co.za for more information.
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