Author: web@chessa.co.za

🏆 YOUR SCHOOL COULD REPRESENT SOUTH AFRICA ON THE WORLD STAGE! 🌍

Chess SA is hosting the South African School Team Championship 2026 — an online national qualifier that will send THREE South African school teams to compete at the FIDE/ISCF African Continental Stage in Cape Town (6–11 July 2026)!

♟️ TOP 3 SCHOOLS QUALIFY FOR CAPE TOWN 🏨

1st place team gets accommodation covered!
📅 Tournament Date: Saturday, 30 May 2026
💻 Online — played via Tornelo
⏱️ 7 rounds | Rapid (20+5)

✅ Open to any South African school ✅ Players born 2012–2018

Teams of 4 + 1 reserve (must include at least one boy and one girl)

Entry fee: R800 per team 📝

Registration deadline: Thursday 28 May — midnight

🔗 Register here:
https://chessworks.co.za/tournament/south-african-school-team-championship-2026

Don’t miss your school’s shot at the world stage!

Tag/forward to a school chess coach or teacher who needs to see this #ChessSA #SouthAfricanChess #SchoolChess #WSTC2026 #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts”

In third place in the Open section was Iceland. Iceland is said to have the highest number of grandmasters per population. Chess is very popular. They had three grandmasters playing on the top three boards. They were GM Helgi Olafsson, GM Margeir Petursson and GM Jon Arnason. All these grandmasters have tremendous international experience. They only lost to Italy. Iceland clinched third third place on tiebreak.

Spain beat SA 3 to 1. On board one IM LA Casa beat CM Lyndon in a positional battle. On Board two FM Bhawoodien lost to his opponent in a tactical melee when he essayed the Schielemann variation. On Board three Anton Goosen drew his game after pushing hard. On Board 4 Andre Schutte continued his fine form by scoring a draw in the last round and ending with 6/9. A great performance by Schutte, who also was our technical person, checking on everything related to the opposing teams!

SA beat Guernsy by 2.5 to 1.5. On board one CM Lyndon Bouah had his KID dismantled by his opponent. It was a 9. Bayonet variation. 2. On Board 2 FM Shabier Bhawoodien outplayed his opponent with the white pieces. 3. On Board 3 Anton Goosen drew his game against his CM opponent. They had mutual time trouble. 4. On Board four Andre Schutte continued his excellent form by sacrificing his knight on the kingside up a winning attack. This is the second match victory in a row and the third overall. We have now won 3 matches, lost 3 matches and drew 2.

SA Beat the home country Albania. On top Board CM Lyndon Bouah beat his opponent 2196 Lorenx Rama in a well-played game. The game transposed into a King’s Indian Defence. This is Bouah’ first win and he now has three points. On board two FM Shabir Bhawoodien defeated his opponent by dominating the dark squares after sacrificing a pawn. On Board three CM Anton Goosen trapped his opponents knight in the middle if the board. This secured a 3-nil lead at the time of going to the press. On Board four Andre Shutte scored a victory in a well-played endgame. SA won 4 nil.