Refilwe Moloto speaks to Eugene Steenkamp, Development Officer at Elsies River Chess Club.
- Elsies River’s teenagers win the A-Division of the Western Cape Chess Championships, which will be held in George in October
Do you remember playing chess with family or friends and are you still playing?
It can also save lives for some communities by getting children off the streets and avoiding the temptation to join gangs.
The Elsies River Chess Club was founded in 1978 and was recently crowned Western Cape A Division Champion at a tournament in George in October.
The winning points in all games were obtained by three teenagers from 16th Avenue, Leonsdale, which is known to be a fairly infamous street.
Refilwe talks to Eugene Steenkamp, Elsies River Chess Club Development Officer, about the win and the work they are doing.
RELATED: CapeTalk listeners gather behind the Elsies River Chess Club
Our club went to George to represent Esleis River in the Western Cape Club Championship, which consists of the 6 regions of the province
Eugene Steenkamp, Elsies River Chess Club Development Manager
We competed against all the top clubs in the A division, the top division.
Eugene Steenkamp, Elsies River Chess Club Development Manager
After the three-day tournament, Elsies River was announced the winner of this top division, says Steenkamp.
The special thing about this story is that on our top boards we had the three youngsters from Leonsdale, Elsies River, strategically placed on boards 1, 2 and 3, which was a job for us.
Eugene Steenkamp, Elsies River Chess Club Development Manager
He says there are around 60 to 70 chess clubs in the province, and the Western Cape is the top performing of all the provinces in the country at chess. So winning this tournament bodes well for national competitions, he adds.
The confidence that an achievement like this gives a 16 year old child is amazing. It also does a lot for the Elsies River community.
Eugene Steenkamp, Elsies River Chess Club Development Manager
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