Two young chess players, from the Midrand Chess Club, James Lombard (13) and Kalauba Maake (13), proudly represented the City of Johannesburg at the 2025 OR Tambo Soncini Social Cohesion Games, held at Ellis Park Arena.

The prestigious annual tournament, hosted by the city’s Department of Community Development through its Sport and Recreation Directorate on October 26 and 27, brought together top young athletes from across Gauteng’s five municipalities – Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, Tshwane, West Rand, and Sedibeng.
Competitors battled it out across five sporting codes: Basketball, netball, volleyball, rugby, and chess.

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Midrand Chess Club coach Kgosimang Molefe said the selection of the two 13-year-olds was a proud milestone for the club, and a reflection of its growing impact in nurturing local talent. “Having players from our club represent Johannesburg gives credibility to the local chess movement and motivates other young players to take the game seriously. It also helps attract support, sponsorships, and partnerships that can grow chess at the grassroots level.”

After an intense weekend of competition, Ekurhuleni claimed top honours with 44 points, narrowly beating defending champions Johannesburg, with 43 points. Tshwane finished third with 40 points, followed by West Rand, with 37 points, and Sedibeng, with 36.

Molefe said seeing his players compete in city colours was deeply rewarding. “It’s proof that dedication, consistency, and community effort can open doors for youth who may not have had access to such opportunities otherwise.

“Seeing their peers compete at this level will motivate others to join the club, practice harder, and believe that they too can represent the city, or even the country one day.”

Both Lombard and Maake performed admirably, showing remarkable focus and resilience against some of the province’s strongest young players. Their participation also earned them valuable rating improvements and experience that will serve them well in future competitions.

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“We’re planning to host more local tournaments and community chess drives to build on this momentum,” said Molefe. “Our goal is to ensure players continue improving and that more young people from Johannesburg join the competitive scene.”

The club also plans to revive its schools league early next year, with several Kyalami schools already expressing interest in taking part. “We’re also calling on U13 players to join our training programme for next year’s Soncini Games.”

Those who wish to join the club, or sponsor, can contact Kgosimang Molefe on 073 494 3478 or kgosi@midrandchess.co.za.

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