The Border Open Chess Tournament took place in the Clarendon High School hall in East London last Friday and Saturday, with 42 chess players taking part in the six-round tournament.
The Border Open Chess Tournament took place in the Clarendon High School hall in East London last Friday and Saturday, with 42 chess players taking part in the six-round tournament.
Six Grahamstown chess players also took part, with Khanya Qabaka of the Rhodes University Chess Club playing well to win the tournament with a full tally of six points.
His wins at the tournament included a fine last-round victory against the top-seeded Border player, Sven Stocklose, who is rated over 200 points higher than Qabaka.
Andrew Martin (Rhodes Chess Club) exceeded his own expectations to finish in second place with five points, losing only to Qabaka.
Third place was also up for grabs for Grahamstown in the all-Rhodes last round pairing of Virgil Prins against Siyabulela Soxujwa. A see-saw battle ensued.
Soxujwa started strongly but exchanged pieces into an uncomfortable position in which Prins had clear lines of attack.
Soxujwa fought back, creating good counterplay but was unable to bag a victory. Eventually the point had to be split, handing third place on a tie-break to Stocklose.
Prins had earlier held Stocklose to a draw finished in fourth place and Soxujwa in sixth place, both on 4.5 points.
Xolani Mpolongwana, also from Rhodes, surprised himself by finishing with two wins to end in 12th place on four points.
Sanele Ntshingana, a 16-year-old Grahamstown learner who is part of the Rhodes Chess Club’s development programme, played in his first ever rated tournament. Ntshingana scored a highly creditable 2.5 points, finishing 29th.
