CWP High Performance Training

In the Western Cape one of the dreaded things by the stronger players in tournaments is meeting some of these youths over the board. Most of them are actually much stronger than what their rating suggests.

As an initiative to set a new standard of approach to youth Chess the Youth Director for Chess Western Province Mr Deon Solomon introduced High Performance Training after a successful transition of the Portfolio from outgoing Directors Mr Andrew Fisher and Mr Roland Willenberg.

The duo of Andrew and Roland strategy was to spread wide the dissemination of chess amongst the youth. Thus we saw the biggest participating teams in the 2012 Junior Championships coming from the Cape. This was indeed what we needed to develop chess for the future and was the correct strategy.

The approach Deon is taking is to continue with that while concurrently consolidating what we have achieved. So utilizing resident Masters a program has been started to prepare our youths for international competition. I attended one I the sessions with International Master Watu Kobese and had a lot of fun in that session.

So captivating all that was successful in the previous year and now adding this new training regimen to all qualifiers of the closed tournament a new plateau is being set for greater achievements in the continuing Chess Revolution launched in March 2012 by MEC Dr Ivan Meyer.

All the best to the youth in this program and I hope one day we can drive such a program national.

R. Salimu

Turfhall Primary: Phenomenal Chess Growth

In April 2012 Turfhall hosted a tournament for Chess Trials for schools and was at the same time inspired to open it's own chess club.

After seeking assistance from Chess Western Province with the direction from Mr Abdul Barday, the teacher in charge of Chess Miss Sene Van Heerden contacted me to assist in setting up a club at the school.

This is when I understood for the first time that my new name was Uncle! This is a respective way of the cape it seems to call your elderly males.

Anywhere we started with six players at the time and it slowly grew. It's amazing to see the support the sport drew from both parents and teachers.

To date in less than 12 months we have over 30 students in the club and its continuing to grow.

I would like to congratulate Turfhall for its initiative.