Two Grade 5 girls from Diepsloot, who started playing chess through the Tsogo Sun Moves for Life Chess programme in 2015, made such excellent progress that they were selected to be part of the Johannesburg Metro Chess Union team at the SA Junior Chess (SAJCC) championships in Boksburg, last December.
The girls, Lindiwe Ranko (12) and Puledi Seema (11), attend Musenga Vhadzimu Primary School in Diepsloot. They qualified for the SAJCC through participation at school as well as at the Johannesburg Metro Trials, playing in the U14 and U12 sections respectively.
McDonald Mabuya, their Tsogo Sun Moves for Life Coach said, “The reason these girls stand out from among their peers is the amount of extra effort they put into the game. They practise chess every afternoon from Monday to Thursday – they deserve this chance and I am proud of the progress they are making.”
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The Johannesburg Metro team did exceptionally well in the championship, having been placed in 18th position out of 22 teams at the start and finishing in 6th place overall.
Ranko won two of her seven games and Seema won six of her seven games. They both thoroughly enjoyed the challenges and intensity of the demanding tournament. The girls are now committed to being regular players for Johannesburg Metro Chess, playing in the A team.
Ranko said, “I love how unpredictable the game can be and I love doing things that challenge me mentally. I also like interacting with other people my age and chess is a great way to achieve this.”
Seema expressed that she loved chess because it has helped her choose her friends carefully and with wisdom. “It has also given us the opportunity to travel to other places and meet children from other areas,” she said.
Mabuya hoped that this achievement by these youngsters will inspire other girls to take up chess as it offers a wide range of benefits to schoolchildren.
Glenn Joseph, the general manager of Montecasino explained that the aim of the chess programme is to use chess as a tool for education, which helps to improve children’s mathematics, science and problem-solving skills. “The idea is to improve the cognitive and analytical abilities of youngsters by exposing them to the mental discipline provided by the game of chess,” Joseph said.
Montecasino has been sponsoring the Tsogo Sun Moves for Life programme in Diepsloot for three years in five primary schools, which accommodate 3 791 pupils.
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