Lead your army across black and white

Chess is often an underrated game.

For this reason, chess coordinator of Umhlali Preparatory School, Veshanti Murugen has listed ten reasons why everyone should play the black and white game:

1. Chess develops memory. As a player you memorize different opening variations. You will learn to recognize various patterns and apply these in your games.

2. Chess improves concentration. During the game you are focused on only one main goal – to checkmate and become the winner. To do this you need to also focus on your opponent’s game plan.

3. Chess promotes imagination and creativity as you need to be inventive. There are a number of beautiful combinations yet to be constructed and created in each game played.

4. Chess teaches independence. You are forced to make your own decisions and take responsibility for them.

5. Chess shows that success rewards hard work. The more you practice, the better you will become. You should be ready to lose and learn from your mistakes.

6. Chess develops the scientific way of thinking. While playing, you generate numerous variations in your mind. You explore new ideas and you try to predict their outcomes. You decide on a hypothesis, and then you make your move and test it. If it fails you plan again.

7. Chess is a test of patience, nerves, will power. It enhances your ability to interact with other people. It tests your sportsmanship in a competitive environment.

8. Chess opens up the world for you. Chess provides you with numerous opportunities to travel not only all around the country but also around the world. Chess is a universal language and you can communicate with anyone over the checkered board.

9. Chess enables you to meet many interesting people and make life-long friendships.

10. Chess is fun. No chess game ever repeats itself, which means you create more and more new ideas each game. In every game you are the general of an army and you alone decide the destiny of your soldiers. You can sacrifice, defend or order them to break through any barriers and surround the enemy king.

It is clear that Umhlali’s pupils have listened to these tips, as the U13 mixed and U13 girls’ teams for the fourth year won the Ilembe Top School’s Chess Championships held on July 25 at Stanger Town Hall.

Both teams will represent Ilembe at the KZN trials to be held from September 11 to 13 in Durban.

The following players participated in the U13 mixed team: Shriyan Singh, Cameroon Evetta, Nathan Godfrey, Tashiv Govendee, Matthew Smith, Jamie Evetts, Tristan Holye and Kaylan Pillay. In the U13 girls team are: Senayah Moodliar, Aarti Datharam, Diya Oatharam, Sikhona Sibiya, Oluhle Mpanza, Riasha Singh, Archana Datharam and Kamaya Moodliar.

The following pupils qualified in the Ilembe District Chess Trials held at the beginning of August at Umhlali Preparatory School.

UlO age group: Kamaya Moodliar, Kiegan Padayachee, Daniel Botluna, Jia Maharaj, Mosa Nkwe, Siona Reddy, Mahashan Govender, Dhaman Bodasing, Mia Abrei and Jordan Bedingfield.

U12 age group: Tristan Hoyle, Aryan Singh, Kaylan Pillay, Tiara Govender and Oluhle Mpanza.

U14 age group: Senayah Moodliar, Shriyan Singh, Sikhona Sibiya, Sahar Maharaj and Tashiv Govender

These pupils will represent KZN at the South African Chess Youth Championships to be held in Cape Town at the end of the year.