16 Jul 2015

Botswana Chess federation (BCF) vice president - administration Roger Tiroyamodimo has expressed delight at the growth of chess in schools.

Speaking at a chess festival hosted by Mater Spei College in Francistown that started on Friday, July 10 and ended on Tuesday, July 14 he said he was pleased that teams came to the tournament well prepared.

Tiroyamodimo cited Sua Junior Secondary School (JSS), which posted an impressive showing at the chess festival.

He noted that the school attained position two at the festival last year. He said that they are focused on developing the game, and added that prizes at the festival include chess equipment.

A player from Sua JSS, Neo Motonto, said she was proud of herself for she not only played against boys, but also won six of her battles and lost only one. She said that she only started playing chess last year.

A teacher from the school, eremiah Dikgang said that they have worked tirelessly for the past five months to improve their game.

He said teachers should not overlook simple things such as a player’s readiness as that have a big impact on the game.

For his part, Mater Spei chess coach Kabelo Masale said they are proud to be the sponsors of the chess tournament. He said that hoisting the festival over a number of days gives players a chance to expand their skills.

Meanwhile, BCF in collaboration with Ice Queens chess club, will on July 28th to 30th host a coaching clinic in Serowe.

Tiroyamodimo said that they still need more sponsors. BCF has in the past distributed chess sets to various primary schools.  ENDS