Fumana Comprehensive Chess Club step-up

As the chess coach at Fumana Comprehensive School, I am honoured to have encouraged my learners to choose chess as a sport. You should see their faces light up during a chess game and how determined they were to win.

On July 24, seven members of the Fumana Chess club participated in a chess tournament at Houghton Primary School in Houghton. The purpose was to serve as open trials for the South African Junior National Championships in Port Elizabeth in December 2011..

Each learner played six chess games; of these, two won three games out of six, four won two out of six and one learner won one out of six.

These learners might not have won all their games but the experience meant a lot to them; what counted was the exposure of playing against other, mostly better developed schools. One of the learners mentioned that the tournament was a lesson that anything was possible in life, regardless of your background. They never imagined themselves competing against learners from better resourced schools but it happened and they managed some wins.

After speaking with a leader from the Gauteng South Chess Association during the tournament, I learnt how excited the association was to see the girls in our chess club.  The association really wants to cultivate and improve the sport of chess, and offered their coaches to train our learners free of charge. All we have to do is pitch up for coaching on Sundays. The Fumana Comprehensive learners are fascinated by the offer but getting to Houghton Primary School every Sunday will be a challenge. 

Any offers to sponsor transport for these learners will be highly appreciated. The Gauteng South Chess Association has some of the best coaches in the country, and their assistance will not only improve our learners’ chess but their academic performance.

I am hopeful that, as we encourage and support the Chess Club, we can help mould these learners into better citizens.”