We lost to England by 2.5 to 1.5.
On Board one CM Lyndyn Bouah drew with England board one Daniel Lindner (2196). It was a tough game but as captain Lyndon defended the honour of the black pieces. Dr Bhawoodien pushed for a win on board 2 but lost in the end. On board three Anton Goosen drew with his opponent after the queens came off early. On board four Andre Schutte played his heart out and drew with his higher rated opponent (1994).
The matches are of course all tough. There are no easy matches. Many of the players have retired or are close to retirement and have decided to come play in this event. Many of them have of course lost a bit of strength but they have not lost their understanding of the game!
Today is World Book Day – 23 April. In honour of today, I have decided to purchase two books. The books are about the life and games of GM Dragoljub Velimirovic. He was on the most exciting grandmasters. I shall enjoy the two-part series on his life.
Chessa appointed me as manager of this trip, and I am glad to report that all
managerial roles have been going well. I attended the captains meeting and settled
all the finances and other aspects that needed settling. Everyone is settled and is
doing their best. We are now in a routine of preparation and analysis.
Today I also spoke at the Conference called South African Sport and the Nation
hosted by the Jaap Durand Chair and the UWC Faculty of Community Health
Sciences. My presentation focussed on the Trilaterals and the importance of
Governance in Sport Federations. It was a video presentation. Technology is
amazing. Two of my colleagues also attended.
Over the past few days, work with the FIDE delegation has focused almost entirely on venue selection for the event. The process has been thorough and time-intensive, which has limited bandwidth for exhibition activities. The delegation remains fully engaged.
Venue shortlist (narrowed from a wider pool):
• Stellenbosch University
• CTICC
• UCT
• Curro Durbanville
Chess set handovers completed:
• Fisantekraal High School
• Alpha Primary School
Both schools sit in communities affected by drug and gang activity. The handovers were well received. President High School is scheduled for tomorrow.
We have now reached round three and we have acclimatised to Durres. We are also starting to walk around and get to know the place a bit as well. Shabier, Andre and I have started to visit some places. We went to the Venetian Tower.
The Venetian Tower is a notable attraction in the city-port, forming part of the Castle of Durres, one of the most potent fortresses in the Middle-Ages along the Western Coast of
the Adriatic Sea. Although it is just one element of the fortification, the tower, which was built in the 15th century, has become a significant monument in Durres. It is located near the coast along the wall that leads to the old acropolis and King Zog’s villa making it a prominent site to see.
When Chess South Africa selected the team in December 2025, we had to move quickly because the closing date was 19 February 2026. We then found flights at R14 000 return which we immediately snapped up. I was then appointed as manager and with the assistance of all the other members we quickly jumped into gear.
An interesting aspect was the e-visa process. This was quite a process as we needed to upload several documents that was required. We all followed through and after paying 25 euros we were issued our visa.
We have arrived safely in Durres, Albania to participate on behalf of South Africa in the World Senior Team Championship. We left SA on Friday and arrived in Albania on Saturday late morning. The team is in board order Dr CM Lyndon Bouah (captain), Dr FM Shabier Bhawoodien, CM Anton Goosen and Andre Schutte.
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Provincial Chess Associations & Regional Chess Associations
Dear President/Chairperson and Secretariat
We would like you to share this registration link below to your respective Chess platform:
The extended deadline to register is Thursday 9 April 2026 at 20h00.
As we are looking for interested candidates to train for the Managers Role for Continental / International Chess tournaments.
Regards
Ms Chene Jeffries
Chess South Africa
General Secretary
Chess South Africa notes the Judgement delivered by the Western Cape High Court on 26 March 2026 in Case No. 2026-051994, concerning the eligibility of permanent residents to be eligible for the award of Federation Colours at the South African Junior Closed Chess Championship (SAJCCC).
