Coaching workshops in KZN

Sandile Xulu reports that, for the very first time, KZN will have a database of Chess Coaches in all 11 districts.

KZN Chess Association has just completed launching the CHESS COACHES ASSOCIATION in all 11 districts. A move to train coaches was warmly welcomed by district associations as this will help improve their competitiveness when it comes to provincial tournaments.

UTHUKELA Coaches showing off their garden chess set in the city of LADYSMITH

LISA GRIFFITHS (in red) with her enthusiastic team of UTHUNGULU Coaches

LULAMA QOBO training from the podium at LUTHULI Museum in ILEMBE District

Previously, chess coaches would come from Durban only but this will soon change as coaches from all over the province will receive continued training. While most of the coaches are ‘Development Coaches’ others have very good potential to soon coach at a higher level.

AMAJUBA Coaches embraced the KZNCA Vision 2015 of ’50 clubs’

CHESS moves into the council chamber in LADYSMITH

Chess is making inroads at the heart of the ZULU KINGDOM 

Coaches Associations will act as a supporting structure to the district structures. This move will see more clubs being formed.

At Shisanyama in Bhekuzulu township, VRYHEID, chess is played while listening to some good music...

UMZINYATHI Coaches learning a new way to teach chess

LULAMA QOBO demonstrating a few coaching lessons in DUNDEE

February was an extremely busy month for the facilitators. Altogether, a total of 130 coaches were trained throughout 11 districts and this training took place every weekend from 14th February to 1st March 2015.

SANDILE XULU ‘teaching’ LULAMA QOBO a few blitz lessons over breakfast in VRYHEID

OXFORD GUEST HOUSE hosted the facilitators with warm hands in VRYHEID

Thanks to Mbongeni Sithole, Mondli Mkhize, Lulama Qobo and Erick Takawira for facilitating these workshops and making a success of them. I (Sandile Xulu) was also one of the facilitators. Thanks to all the district officials and others who helped make sure that these workshops ran smoothly.

Tournaments in March

We have received entry forms for the following events:

1) Ethekwini district: Glenwood CC  Autumn series on 21-22 March

2) Ilembe district: Crawford North Coast  Rapid event on 28 March

3) Uthungulu district: Richards Bay  Anniversary tournament on 28-29 March

All of these events will be rated by Chess SA. Further details can be found in the entry forms.

Uthungulu wins a gold medal

Uthungulu entered the South African Junior Team Championships as a region for the first time this year. The teams event, which was held in Kimberley from 3rd to 7th January 2015, saw 208 teams competing for the medals in 19 different sections, split into different age categories. The Uthungulu under 18 A team was placed 1st in section C of the under 18 teams event, winning 6 of their matches and drawing one. They received gold medals and promotion to the B section next year. A great success!

Uthungulu's other teams finished as follows:

under 12 A team - 16th in C section

under 12 B team - 23rd in C section

under 14 A team - 8th in C section

under 14 B team - 17th in C section

under 16 A team - 8th in B section

under 20 A team - 7th in B section

Ilembe also entered the Junior Team Championships for the first time this year. Their teams finished as follows:

under 10 A team - 7th in B section

under 12 A team - 8th in B section

under 14 A team - 7th in B section

under 18 A team - 7th in B section

Uthungulu Youth champs

After holding a successful trials tournament in August to pick the Uthungulu youth teams, it was decided to hold another rated tournament in September, to sort out the board orders. With only 66 players, a smaller venue at Brackenham Primary was used for the championships. The time control was also increased (to 60/60) so that players could record all their moves, something that was new to a lot of the players. The most common queries were on how to record a promotion. Thanks once again to Lisa Griffiths and her team for inviting me back to Richards Bay for this pleasant event.

Lisa Griffiths gives the "start play" command, the under 14 players are in the foreground

Kabelo Mthethwa vs Lindelwa Nxumalo, behind them is Luyanda Mbambo vs Mxolisi Ncanana,
you can also see Kelvin Aidan and Sandile Mdunge in the picture

u12's Gabriel Gounden, Siyabonga Mqaise and Keane Reddy concentrating on their notation

 u12 players Uvash Harrilall on board 26, Tlhoni Tsotetsi on board 25

Top u14 players, Nikash Baboolal vs Sandile Mdunge, Sandile won yet again

Best under 16, Siyanda Khumalo, deep in thought

The final results were as follows:
under 12 championship
under 14 championship
under 16 championship
under 20 championship

For more information, contact Lisa Griffiths

Uthungulu Youth Trials - team photos

combined under 10/12 teams

players sponsored by BHP Billiton

under 16 team

under 18 team

under 20 team

Uthungulu Youth Trials, 2nd-3rd August 2014

I was invited to Richards Bay as chief arbiter of the Uthungulu Youth Trials by Lisa Griffiths, the chairperson of the Uthungulu Chess Association. Her committee did a good job in organising the tournament, setting up the playing venue, keeping track of the scores and so forth. I really liked their table numbers, which were easy to see at a distance. 

On the first day we had a tournament for the under 12 players. There were no defaults and the juniors played so quickly that I was able to do pairings sooner than expected, so we finished the day early. As there were not enough under 10 players for a full team, the best under 10 players were included with the best under 12 players for team selections.

On the second day we had a full house of players from under 14's to under 20's. Despite lots of late entries we started on time, but then ran late as there were so many defaulters (players who had entered but who failed to pitch up) who had to be removed from the draw before round 2. We later caught up on the playing schedule and held the selectors meeting and prize-giving on time.

On both days there were a lot of new and inexperienced players, with a surprising number of games ending in draws due to stalemate or the 50-move rule (when trying to mate with K+Q vs K or K+R vs K). That's something for Head coach Makhosonke to sort out before Nationals in January! Here are some pictures from both days of the youth trials:

Stefan Britz vs Mongezi Shoba, they both scored 6/7 and tied for 1st place

Tlhoni Tsotetsi also scored 6/7 in the under 12

Khandisiwe Mbambo

Scorers Nishi and Michelle were kept busy

Lisa Griffiths with best girls Lungelo Vilakazi and Londeka Buthelezi

This game ended in stalemate!

Sandile Mdunge vs Nikash Baboolal, the top 2 seeds in under 14

Here are the final results for each age group:

under 8/10/12 results
under 14 results
under 16/18/20 results

For more information, contact Lisa Griffiths.