Africa’s chess champion, grandmaster Adham Fawzy from Egypt, is this year’s winner of the prestige section of the Moja Chess Extravaganza that was presented in Kimberley.
Fawzy, along with approximately 290 chess players from around the world, calculated their best moves in this year’s edition of the chess tournament that took place from Saturday, 30 September, to Wednesday, 4 October, in the Diamond Pavilion Mall.
For the duration of the tournament, top boards were being streamed, making it possible for chess-lovers all over the world to anticipate the players’ next moves.
It is said that Fawzy’s exceptional performance solidifies his status as one of the continent’s premier chess talents, and after a five-day chess battle this was clear.
The second place in the prestige section was owned by the South African Fide Master (FM) Banele Mhango, who also retained his title during this year’s Moja Blitz Tournament. The Russian, Matfey Rogov, secured the third position. International master (IM) Johannes Mabusela claimed the fourth position, while Tyler Navin secured fifth place.
In the B-section, the 19-year-old Thabang Mankga walked away with the gold medal, while Makhosonke Kuhlase claimed second place, and Ofentse Modirwa secured the third place.
Competition in this year’s women’s section was described as an epic battle of endurance, determination, fortitude, and relentless-resilience. The gold medal was earned by woman international master (WIM) Jesse February, while WIM Charlize van Zyl claimed the second position, and Denise Bouah, also a South African WIM, secured the third position.
The C-section of the tournament was completed on Sunday. This section was originally intended as a competition for the U14 division with an Elo rating of 1 100 or lower. The Elo system was invented by Arpad Elo and is the most common rating used in chess.
The C-section, however, evolved into a free-for-all contest open to participants of all age groups who met the Elo rating criteria. At first, the younger participants were not thrilled to have experienced players in their midst, but gave the seasoned players a run for their money.
The 14-year-old Moremi Msimango emerged as the overall champion of this section. Following closely was Thabang Mathe, with Nkazimulo Nkabinde in third place.
The first edition of the Moja Chess Extravaganza was held in Kimberley in 2018. It has since grown in popularity and is seen as a premier annual event on the chess calender.
Dr Jabulani Mokoena, president of the Moja Chess Club, says the Northern Cape has good chess players who are eager to compete with good players from elsewhere.
“We decided to attract players to Kimberley, with prize money making it worth the while,” he comments.
During the tournament, chess players compete in different categories according to their ratings, and players from as young as seven years took part.
Mokoena describes chess as an ultimate game of strategy and skill, and says chess is important for mental agility.
“Children who play chess do well in school, especially in Maths and Science.
“Chess also helps with concentration and deep thinking,” he says, adding that chess should actually be part of the school curriculum.
He says some of the players can concentrate on the game for three to five mental hours on end; which makes it a very disciplined sport.
Chess is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a sport, and more than 100 countries recognise it as a sport. According to the IOC, chess is a sport as the game requires immense skill, mental acuity, strategic thinking, and lasting physical endurance to remain focused for the duration of matches that can last for hours. Another reasons, amongst other, are that chess has an extreme competitive nature, with rules and customs.
- Visit mojachess.org for more information, or the Facebook page Moja Chess Club.
- Also read the letter on p. 8.
