The Tuks chess team managed to put the other teams in check mate during the USSA Tournament in Secunda to ensure they get to take the overall honours.
It is the second consecutive time that Tuks reign supreme overall. The women’s team was second and the men fourth. Suné du Toit, Cora Mak and Roland Bezuidenhout were selected to represent South Africa at the World University Championships in Brazil.
Mfundo Masiya who made his debut for Tuks is, without doubt, a player to watch in the future. He ended up being the second best male chess player during the tournament which was no mean feat as India’s Grand Master, Grover Sahaj, was playing for Nelson Mandela University. Grover is the currently the best player residing in Africa and the holder of the South African Open Chess Championships title.
Masiya has got an exciting story to tell as to how he got started as a chess player. He remembers coming home one evening and seeing his uncle and friends playing chess. He was fascinated by the pieces and went to touch it. His uncle was not amused by his curiosity and scolded him for interfering with their game.
However, he was not going to let the incident deter him. The moment Masiya found out that chess was one of the sports at his school he made a real effort to get to learn what it is about. His first mentors were his teachers. He turned out to be a quick and passionate learner.
It did not take for him to start winning and as they say revenge is a dish best served cold. Masiya not only got to touch the chess pieces but also beat his uncle in a game. He admits that he enjoyed doing so.
As to what it takes to be good at chess Masiya said that everyone will have a different answer.
“Some will say that it is all about hard work and determination. For me, it is all about confidence. In chess, it goes a long way to trust yourself and play the moves you think are the best. That takes courage.”
Physical fitness is also important to him.
“My problem in recent years has been that started to slow down during the second part of the tournaments battling to remain focused. I realised something had to be done. I made a conscious decision to work on my fitness. Before the USSA Tournament, I tried to run at least five kilometres every day. "
Masiya is happy with his performance during the USSA Tournament.
“To finish second behind a Grand Master is something I will cherish for a long time to come. I had something to prove because I think I am being slightly underrated as a top player.”
According to him, it was not all plain sailing for Tuks at USSA’s.
“Guts and determination are what made us pull off the overall victory. Towards the middle stages of the tournament things got a bit ‘messy’, but luckily we managed to regroup and play with tenacity in the end.”
The USSA Chess tournament was attended by 196 men and 110 women from 23 universities across the country. It is an individual tournament with each person playing nine games. At the end of the competition, players from the same universities points are added up.
Virtual Campus
Get Social With Us
Download the UP Mobile App