SA University Championships
The 2022 USSA (University Sport South Africa) chess championship just concluded, with nine rounds from 5-9 December. Drawing players from 22 universities across the country, it was the most exciting thing to happen in Kimberley since the Great Freeze of 1907, when the temperature there dropped below 35°C for the first and only time.
After a gruelling 12-hour bus ride, the UCT team arrived mostly alive and eager to win. Our first day of playing was a great success, putting us in shared first place. We remained in the top three for most of the tournament and, despite a physically and emotionally punishing Ultimate Frisbee marathon, managed to win the open section!
We also had some fantastic individual results: MJ came second and Tane seventh in the open section, which had 193 players. Laurie Ann dominated the women's section, showing her class with an undefeated seven wins and two draws. Those three made the national team and will represent SA on the international stage.
Everyone did well and learned a lot, even if the lesson was that you should keep your +2s as defensive cards in Uno. The pastor who led the closing prayer warned us not to get too cocky, so next year we're coming back stronger than ever! I've included our full results and some puzzles from our games below. You can see a video montage of our trip here. Make sure to check out our Instagram!
How does Ammen regain his sacrificed pawn with a strong position?
Find Laurie Ann's knockout blow:
Do you think Tane's next move will be reasonable and normal or audacious and crazy?
How does Laviens win material?
See how James neutralises his opponent's isolated Queen's Pawn:
How does Mpho squeeze a winning advantage out of this dry-seeming endgame?
How can Ammen start an attack against his uncastled opponent?
White threatens the devastating Re8+. How does Iman respond?
Find Tane's knockout tactic:
How does Laviens grab the initiative?
From the same game: How does Laviens win material?
How does Tane get a big positional advantage?
How does Mpho navigate this wild position?
Finally, this absolutely crazy game needs to be shown in full. Enjoy clicking through the ridiculous variations!
Thanks for reading!
