The 2008 Western Province Chess League Report

by Candidate Master Advocate Lyndon Bouah

On Thursday 24 July 2008 clubs affiliated to Chess Western Province gathered to participate in the 2008 edition of the WP league. For readers from afar South Africa is divided into nine provinces. The Western Cape is one of the nine provinces. Within the Western Cape Province the Region is divided into four main areas:

 The Western Province which is essentially the Cape Town Metropole;

Boland which is the wine producing region of the country;

The West Coast which has Saldanha as its hub; and

South Western Districts which has Knysna, Mosselbay and George as its main towns.

 Map of the Western Cape

 

Aerial view of Cape Town with Table Mountain

 

The clubs participating in the league are:

Premier Division:

Start of round 1. WIM Melissa Greeff leading Manyanani vs. Uitsig.

University of Stellenbosch (defending Champions)

Steinitz A and B

Bellville A and B

Uitsig

University of Cape Town A

Cape Town  A

Goodwood   A

Manyanani   A

Claremont

Belhar Knights A

 

In the B division the teams are:

 

Blackjacks A and B

Bellville C and D

Steinitz C

UWC A

Manyanani B

Capablanca

Stellenbosch B

Athlone

Belhar Knights B

Cape Town B

 In the C Division the teams are:

UCT B

Manyanani C

Delft

Pollsmoor

Wesbank

University of the Western Cape B

Blackjacks C and D

Goodwood B and C

Cape Peninsula University of Technology A and B

 

In the D division the following teams have registered

Timberwolves

Bellville South

Gugulethu

Metropolitan

Braille

Manyanani D

Chess for Change

A short history of the WP League:

Extracts are from Leonard Reitstein’s excellent book “A History of Chess in South Africa” which I recommend highly.

 Organised club league chess is over 100 years old in Cape Town. Cape Town chess club, the oldest in South Africa (founded in 1885) together with Woodstock, Tokai and the YMCA club formed a union of clubs in 1907. Each club entered one team in the league at a fee of 1 pound-1-0 per team in the same year.

 Teams of five competed in the inaugural competition. Cape Town was expected to win and did so but only by one point. In the double round robin they scored 10 match points, Woodstock 9, YMCA 6 and Tokai 0. Cape Town sensationally lost in the opening round to Woodstock, a club barely a year old, and had to field to their strongest possible team for the replay which they won by a single point. 

 Present History

 The WP Chess league was divided during the apartheid years and only in 1992 did a unified league start. In my later reports a list of league champions will be given.

In the Premier Section the two favourites both started with 5 -0 victories.

The defending champions are the University of Stellenbosch who is led on board one by 17 year old SA Champion Henry Steel. He beat Women International Master Anzel Solomons ( nee Laubscher) in a closely contested match in which Henry dropped a pawn and had to fight hard. Stellenbosch beat the University of Cape Town quite convincly. Henry’s father Professor Sarel Steel holds down board three.

Steinitz A played their B team and won (not without difficulty) 5.0.  Steinitz A has a star- studded line up with every one of their players having played for South Africa. On Board one is Dr Deon Solomons, then Dr Shabier Bhawoodien, Advocate Lyndon Bouah, then former SA Junior Champions Craig Willenberg and Kenny Willenberg.

Uitsig and Manyanani played to a thrilling 2.5/ 2.5 draw in Uitsig’s first match in the Premier. Women International Master Melissa Greef at 13 leads Manyanani and must be the youngest player, male or female, to play board one for a Premier team. She won her first game as well.

Bellville A beat Bellville B 3.5 to 1.5 in a closely fought encounter. Women Candidate Master Ingrid De Waal is continuing her good run of form by drawing with Frans Vergeest on board two.

 Goodwood beat Cape Town 3.5 to 1.5 in a good result for them. The team is led by Western Province closed champion Stanleigh Davies and his brother Shaughn. Stanleigh held International master David Gluckman to a draw on board one while the rest of the team scored well.

Belhar Knights opened their campaign with a good win over Claremont chess club.

The team is led by the man from Springbok Donovan van den Heever who is showing sublime form. Women International Master Denise Frick beat Claremont president John van Ryneveld in a neatly played game.

The full team results are given elsewhere.

 Comments on the B Division:

Blackjacks A easily accounted for Blackjacks B 5-0. The team is led by Micheal James and they will be the favourites for the division.

 Bellville C beat Bellville D.  Interesting that Bellville C board one is Nina De Swardt, another up and coming female.

 UWC beat Steinitz 4.5 to 0.5 The UWC students should be giving Blackjacks a go for the title and possible promotion.

Manyanani B drew with Capablanca 2.5 to 2.5. The Manyanani B team is led by Dr Omar Esau.

Athlone showed they meant business when they easily defeated Stellenbosch 4-1. A relatively young team they will go far. Chante Caesar the SA women under 16 champion plays on board 4.

Belhar Knights beat Cape Town 4.5 to 0.5 which is an excellent result for Belhar Knights.

Comments on the C division:

 UCT B beat Manyanani 3-2 in a close contest.

 Delft bt Pollsmoor 4.5 to 0.5

UWC B beat Wesbank 5 .0 which is an excellent result for them. UWC also fielded two female players Alyssa Ziegler and Farryl Cornelius.

 Blackjacks C beat Blackjacks D 5.-0

Goodwood C lost to Goodwwod C 3.5 to 1.5.

CPUT A bt CPUT B 5-0

Calvin Klaasen leads CPUT A.

Comments on the D section

 Gugulethu beat fellow debutants Timberwolves 4.1.

Metropolitan also a league debutant beat Bellville South 4-1

Braille beat Manyanani D 5 nil.

 

 Candidate Master Advocate Lyndon Bouah

 A former Olympiad player Candidate Master Lyndon has represented SA since 1992 at senior and junior level. He is the president of Chess Western Province and a lawyer by profession.