S. Africa’s President at Chess Tourney
Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 21 Dec 2009
Title: Checkmate President Zuma
Pretoria- President Jacob Zuma is to participate in the inaugural KwaZulu-Natal Chess Tournament tomorrow.
The tournament, organised at the request of the President, will be held at the Nkandla Community Hall at 2pm. It is aimed at teaching the youth patience and strategic thinking as well as to promote recreational activity in rural areas.
“President Zuma is an ardent chess player and wants to see the game being rolled out in various remote communities of the province as it requires minimal infrastructure,” said the Presidency on Monday. – BuaNews
ChessCube Supports Chess Education in South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa – 23 December 2009. ChessCube, a South African based Internet Chess Company with an 800,000 membership, offers support to President Zuma’s recent initiatives to encourage South African youth to play chess.
Playing chess at school could lead to job creation. Mark Levitt, CEO and founder of ChessCube, says, “President Zuma noted that the sport of chess develops strategic thinking for school going children. It also aids the development of mathematical and languages skills. David Macenulty, a US-based chess coach, proved that inner city New York learners who studied chess at primary school went onto tertiary education far more than their peers. So great was his contribution to chess in schools that it inspired the Ted Danson film ‘Knights of the South Bronx’.”
Levitt explains the impact of chess now on the future jobs of South Africa’s youth: “Kids who play chess at primary school level tend to go onto tertiary education to secure and create employment for themselves and others. Chess plays an important role as one of the many initiatives to create a prosperous South Africa of growth, starting with the youth.”
ChessCube is launching an online schools chess initiative in South Africa and other countries from early 2010. The South African government, a number of NGOs and large corporates are doing a great deal to improve Internet and computer services in schools. ChessCube will be working with all providers to ensure that schools in South Africa can connect to ChessCube’s classroom service.
“ChessCube will provide facilities for children to play chess online and to receive online video training,” explained Levitt. “The basic service will be free to all schools in South Africa, and we will be working with big business to sponsor additional opportunities for South African youth.”
ChessCube recently raised R10m from Invenfin, the Venture Capital subsidiary of Remgro Ltd, a listed South African Company.
Useful links
ChessCube Facebook Application: https://apps.facebook.com/chesscube/
ChessCube website: https://www.chesscube.com
ChessCube blog: https://www.blog.chesscube.com
Contact information
ChessCube(Pty) Ltd.
Contact: Mark Levitt (CEO)
+27 82 389 3637
+27 21 555 2019
mark@chesscube.com
About ChessCube
ChessCube (http://www.chesscube.com) was launched in June 2007 from Cape Town headquarters. It has since grown to a community of over 800,000 avid chess players, and continues to grow. ChessCube is an innovative, and award-winning, live chess platform. Mark Levitt, founder and CEO of ChessCube, is four times South African Chess Champion, and many of ChessCube’s board members are avid, strong chess players themselves. ChessCube’s investors include Invenfin (the venture capital subsidiary of the Remgro Limited group) Vinny Lingham and Michael Leeman.
For more information or images, please contact Mark Levitt (mark@chesscube.com) or Sarah Blake (sarah@chesscube.com).
hi shabazz merry christmas, i want to notify you about just conclouded obudu street chess classic in nigeria port harcourt city, feat nigeria national bomo kigigha which came 2nd on d event with a total of 5/6 and his brother national no.3 was d defending campion and he ended with 3 and half over 6, and the champion is koko obele who 5 and half point over six rounds. the organiser sunny eyenghe was the only that drew a game with champion and made a final score of 3 and half over six. the tourney was a 21 players from southern part of nigeria.
Sunny,
Send me an e-mail directly so I can place the story in the right location. This topic is about S. Africa.
Daim,
President Zuma is going to play in a chess tournament?!?! This is BIG.
No… he just participated in the inauguration. I’m sure he made the first move or something like that.
South Africa: Zuma On Chess, Strategy And Life
23 December 2009
Pretoria — President Jacob Zuma has called on the youth to play chess as the board game contributes to the development of strategic thinking which is an important element of life.
Zuma, an ardent chess player himself, attended the inaugural KwaZulu-Natal chess tournament held at the Nkandla Community Hall on Tuesday. Players ranged from 11 to 21 years old and the tournament included an open category for members of the public to participate.
He told the 60 youths from various schools in Nkandla and neighbouring areas that he wanted to see the game being rolled out to remote communities in the province as it required minimal infrastructure.
The president said the board game was one of the most exciting sports even though it did not rank in the same level of popularity as soccer and rugby.
Zuma also called on the private sector to assist in sponsoring chess in rural areas as he believed this would contribute to shaping young people into future thinkers that would lead the country in different disciplines.
KwaZulu Chess President Sandile Xulu said: “Chess gives young people the opportunity to compete, regardless of race or social standing. It provides a field of ideas, concepts and strategy for young growing minds.”
Zuma also called on school teachers to encourage the spread and development of the game.- BuaNews
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