UNION High School hosted the first-ever simultaneous chess exhibition to be played in the Karoo on August 31.
The competition saw chess aficionado Ian Kirstein playing against 40 chess-loving individuals – at the same time! He had to walk from player to player, making his moves after only having had a short chance to assess the board.
His competitors, however, had plenty of time to consider their position and strategy while he was playing the other 39. The day’s longest match lasted 3½ hours, while the majority of the matches lasted 2½ hours.
Kirstein didn’t falter under the pressure and managed to win 36 out of the 40 matches. He conceded two matches to chess coaches JP Kruger (Union High School) and Morne Naudé (Karel Theron Primary).
The only learner who managed to beat Kirstein, was Rowan Swemma from Asherville Secondary School. He walked away with a handsome prize of R500.
The last match of the day ended in a draw, with Bongani Finnis from Spandau Secondary School playing until the bitter end.
Union hopes to, in future, host more events of this nature to promote chess in the district.
