The 19-year-old Michal Oosthuizen, a first-year BCom Investment Science student at UP-Tuks, is preparing to "go to war" for Tuks at the upcoming 2024 USSA Chess Championships, possibly hosted at Tuks Rembrandt Hall on the Hillcrest Sports Campus.

As he gears up to defend his "King," Oosthuizen will skillfully deploy rooks, knights, bishops, pawns, and his all-important "Queen." While sacrifices are inevitable, his opening strategy remains undecided—it could be the Berlin Defence, Marshall Attack, or the ever-popular Queen's Gambit. However, his plans will stay under wraps until the Championships begin.

Oosthuizen’s love for chess began at the age of five, driven by curiosity. Reflecting on his journey, he shares, "It’s a funny story."

"I saw my dad and a friend playing a game, sitting before a barbeque fire. I wanted to know what they were doing. So, like a monkey would do, I climbed onto the table to get a better view. I told my dad I also wanted to play when I saw all those funny pieces on a board. They started teaching me. Fourteen years on, I am still playing."

At eight, he played internationally for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Four years on, he was South Africa's top under-12 player. When in Grade 11, he represented South Africa at a tournament in Greece. He was sixth in his age group. 

When asked what he loves about chess, Oosthuizen explained that playing is like going to "war" for him.

"You got an army. The goal is to marshal your troops to ambush the opposite "army", forcing them to accept defeat. It is often easier said than done. It helps to be prepared because it is game on once that first move is made. One move follows another, and if you are not focused, you are the one who will be ambushed. It is challenging to recover once you have made a mistake in a chess game.

"Often, people would tell me that chess is not a sport. My reaction on hearing this is to ask if they had ever been involved in a four-hour-plus "battle". You can only do it if you are fit. I go to the gym quite often. I also like playing tennis with friends. It is also important to continuously find ways to train your brain so you can focus for long spells on end."

As to goals, Oosthuizen said he is confident he will become a FIDE Master soon. 

"I would also love to play at a Chess Olympiad. It is a worldwide chess event where teams of top players compete for their respective nations."