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Jolly-Joice Nepandos outstanding performance at the recent Namibian National Chess Championships earned her the honour of the top female player in the country.

The nine-round event took place from 17 to 21 March at the Nictus Cultural Centre in Windhoek, where Nepando finished with a score of eight points, seven wins, and two draws, demonstrating not only true mastery of the game but also strategic moves and tactics that earned her a spot on the national team.

My long-term goal is to become the number one female chess player in Africa, says Nepando, who founded the Fianchetto Chess Academy along with Women Candidate Master (WCM) Lishen Mentile in 2017.

The academy was established to inspire mass participation in the sport among the youth.

We both have an intense love for the game, hence, we wanted to pass on our chess knowledge to the next person, especially children because of its vast benefits, she says, adding that part of their strategy is to get chess incorporated into the education curricula.

The benefits of chess include travelling the world for competitions like the upcoming African Individual Chess Championship in Egypt from 5 to 14 May.

I had a unique experience in each of the tournaments. Not only have I gained more experience, it has also moulded me into a stronger player, and opened my mind to new cultures and different customs and backgrounds, says Nepando.

She says her most memorable tournaments were in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2012; the 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromzo, Norway, where she earned the WCM title; Baku, Azerbaijan (2016), Batumi, Georgia (2018), and Chennai, India (2022).Nepando grew up at Soweto, Katutura, where she discovered the game of chess at Martti Ahtisaari Primary School.

That is where I learned to play chess, I was taught by Mr Hindjou. I believe I was 11 years old at the time, she says.

Nepando credits the sport for helping mould her into a well-rounded person, an experience she recommends for her compatriots.

My words of encouragement to any aspiring chess player out there are: keep pushing yourself, never give up on your dreams and always strive for greatness. If you put in the effort, the results will come, she said.

The Fianchetto Chess Academy also wants to encourage aspiring chess players to take advantage of our programmes and learn how to master the game of chess, she says.

We have an experienced team that is available to help new students and we offer flexible classes, study plans, and tournaments for all levels. So, if you have been considering giving chess a try, now is your time. We offer private lessons, chess school lessons, group lessons and corporate team-building sessions using chess as a tool, says Nepando, the Namibian female World Chess Olympiad record holder.

We would like companies and individuals to invest in chess, partner with the Namibian Chess Federation, or chess academies around the country and work on life-changing projects, Nepando, who matriculated at Abbotts College in Cape Town, South Africa, says.

She also coaches chess, using sign language for hearing-impaired pupils.

I learnt how to use sign language at the University of Namibia. I felt it was important to learn sign language because I believe in inclusivity and making sure everyone has the opportunity to learn and excel at chess, says Nepando.

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Chess champion looks to inspire the youth - Namibian

Photo for illustrative purposes.

The Sarah Baartman District Chess Union (SBDCU) hosted the second of its three trial events at Fountains Mall on April 1, attracting at least 176 determined players from several schools and chess clubs across the region, as well as interested spectators and supportive parents.

The three-trial qualifier will be followed by a closed tournament, to which selected players will be invited.

A district team will be chosen for the provincial chess tournament later this year.

In addition to playing a minimum number of games, players must participate in at least two of the three trials taking place in Kouga, and obtain a score of 50 percent or more in each, to be invited to the final closer.

The greater region was well-represented by the following schools, Graslaagte Primary, Stulting Primary, St Francis College, Jeffreys Bay Primary, Pellsrus Primary, Pharos School, St Dominics Priory, Victory Christian School, Kings College, Victory 4 All, Victory Primary, Global Leadership Academy, Graeme College, Horskool McLachlan, Paul Sauer High, Nico Malan High, Union High, Hor Volkskool and Spandau Secondary School.

Individuals, and the Rhodes University Chess Club, also entered, giving organisers a balanced mix of age groups from u/8 to adult.

It was evident from this trial that players do take their chess and trials seriously, said SBDCU head, Petrus Stuurman. There were changes in the winning orders. In some age groups, one noticed that some of the first trial medal winners did not make the podium this time around.

Stuurman said that the third and final trial will be played from June 23 to 24, with players having a choice of six tournaments in which to participate until the next trial, which will include the annual Kouga Mayors Cup in April, which is exclusively for Kouga-based players.

He thanked Fountains Mall for hosting the venue, Nadine Scheepers for her hard work behind the scenes and Jeffreys Bay Primary Schools Beryl Christodoulou, who organised tables and chairs for the event.

ISSUED BY SARAHBAARTMAN DISTRICT CHESS UNION

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Second season of chess trials a great success - News24

Modified Apr 13, 2023 12:20 IST

Popular YouTuber Ludwig Ahgren reacted to a Reddit post about a unique chess-boxing event in an abandoned warehouse during one of his livestreams. For those unaware, Chess-Boxing is a hybrid sport that combines chess and boxing. It involves alternating rounds of chess and boxing, with each round lasting between three to four minutes.

In December 2020, Ludwig hosted a highly publicized chess-boxing event that brought together prominent creators and chess players. However, after seeing his fans organize an unmonitored combative event on a hard concrete floor, the streamer expressed his concerns:

Ludwig's initial reaction to the recent post was one of amusement, but he then expressed concern about the safety of the event. One of the pictures in the post featured a participant with a bloody nose, which raised questions about the safety measures in place during the event. The YouTuber said:

(Timestamp: 01:48:51)

He urged his fans not to post unsafe content on his subreddit page after expressing concern about the safety of a chess-boxing event in a Reddit post. Additionally, he reminded fans that his event had several safety regulations in place and was sanctioned by the chess-boxing commission.

The original poster mentioned that they had videos of the event, but the streamer quickly intervened and recommended that such content should be shared on other subreddits such as "r/StreetFights," as he asserted:

Fans shared various reactions to the clip, with some expressing their concerns about the event and the potential requirement to explain it to the police. Others emphasized the importance of using protection during the event to ensure the safety of all participants involved. Here are the top comments:

Ludwig's chess-boxing event was a resounding success, with no reports of any injuries. To check out some of the most memorable moments from the event, click here.

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"This is not on me, I did not inspire them" - Ludwig reacts to fans hosting Chess-Boxing event in abandoned warehouse - Sportskeeda

Chess pie was, in one sense, new to me when I started learning about it a few months ago. Id never heard of this favourite of the American South until I came across it in a pie-centric cookery book. But in another sense, its extremely familiar both to me and to anyone whos ever eaten a pie or a tart before. Chess pie is a bit like an ur-pie, made with the most simple, most essential of pie ingredients.

Thats possibly where its name comes from: the story goes that in the 1800s in Alabama, where nuts and other common pie fillings were expensive, a freed slave made a pie with the most basic of ingredients eggs, sugar, butter, cream. When asked about it, she replied: Oh its jes pie. And, lo, thanks to a mishearing, chess pie was born.

It employs a classic American pie dough: all butter, barely sweetened and very flaky

Of course, there are other theories. One is that chess pie is actually much older than that, and comes from England. There are records of simple custard tarts, cooked to delay the spoilage that would occur if the ingredients were left raw, meaning that the pie could be left unrefrigerated in a chest. American writer and chef Lisa Donovan found a suggestion that the pie was originally made not with cornmeal, but with chestnut flour hence chess and that this only changed when the American chestnut tree fell victim to blight. The resulting pie was fantastic, but she remained unconvinced by this neat solution.

I suspect there is an element of truth to both of the principal origin stories: that a basic tart that could be left unrefrigerated was often made in England, but that chess pie as we know it originated in the American South as one of a host of make-do-and-mend pies during the Great Depression. There are a bunch of pies like this that use cheap and cheerful pantry staples and dont rely on seasonality: vinegar pie for when citrus was hard to get hold of (which Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her Little House on the Prairie books), transparent pie from Kentucky (which Im afraid is just colourless rather than actually transparent), sugar pie (which uses milk or cream instead of buttermilk for the custard) and water pie (which just uses water and flour as the custard base).

Chess pies distinguishing characteristics are cornmeal which gives the gentlest coarseness to an otherwise smooth filling and a slightly acidic custard. It employs a classic American pie dough: all butter, barely sweetened and very flaky, it is perhaps slightly less elegant than a crumbly shortcrust cut flush against the sides of a fluted tin, but no less satisfying, with a thick, slightly undulating edge which gives that classic pie aesthetic. The trick, if youre more used to making British or French pastry, is to stop before you reach the breadcrumb stage of combining the ingredients. The flakiness of the pastry relies on sweeps and blobs of butter in the dough, so bits of butter should still be visible, otherwise the pastry will be short.

When it comes to the custard filling, there are a couple of different types: lemon, chocolate and coconut are all popular, but the classic is buttermilk. And its my favourite both for its simplicity (which seems correct for such a pantry-based bake) and its ability to cut through the intense sweetness of these kinds of pies. The custard is uncooked before it goes into the blind-baked pie shell, and then baked at a very low temperature for a whole hour, until set at the edges and on top but with a very slight jiggle in the middle. The combination of whole eggs, cornmeal and lots and lots of sugar creates a distinctive, delicious crust on the custard.

Once completely cooled, the pie will cut beautifully into clean, blond slices serve with a swirl of whipped (or squirty) cream piped perkily on top.

Makes 8 slices

For the pastry

150g plain flour

tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

115g cold butter cut into inch pieces

60g cold water

1 egg white

For the filling

300g caster sugar

4 eggs

200ml buttermilk

2 tbsp cornmeal

2 tbsp plain flour

vanilla extract

tsp fine salt

100g butter, melted and cooled

To sign up for Olivia Pottss bimonthly newsletter, which brings together the best of The Spectators food and drink writing, go to spectator.co.uk/oliviapotts

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Chess pie: how to make the flakiest pastry - The Spectator

Teenaged Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh stunned former world rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the final to win the World Chess Armageddon Asia & Oceania event here.

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Gukesh emerged winner in a topsy-turvy summit clash late on Sunday.

After a missed chance in game 1, Gukesh lost the next game against Abdusattorov to use his extra life and start the match all over again.

The first game of the new match was a draw after a perpetual check from Gukesh. He won the next game to emerge champion.

Both Gukesh and Abdusattorov have earned a spot at the Armageddons Grand Finale in September.

The 16-year-old Indian won in a field that included former world classical champion Vladimir Kramnik, Daniil Dubov, Yangyi Yu (China), Vidit Gujrathi and Karthikeyan Murali (both India) and Param Maghsoodloo (Iran), apart from Abdusattorov.

Glad to win the thrilling event Armageddon championship series 2023-Asia and Oceania group by @theworldchess! Big relief to finally win a faster time control elite event & enjoyed plenty of new experiences the way event was played amidst lights,makeup stuf, Gukesh tweeted after the triumph.

Former world champion Viswanathan Anand hailed the young GMs achievement.

Congratulations @DGukesh. An excellent achievement especially in a different time control. Proud to see our @WacaChess mentee make us proud again, Anand tweeted.

Each day of the tournament, the matches consisted of two blitz games and, if necessary, an Armageddon game (five minutes for White, four for Black).

An Armageddon game is a variant of blitz chess to determine a winner after a series of drawn game. A drawn game in the Armageddon is counted as a win for Black.

First published on: 10-04-2023 at 12:19 IST

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Indian GM Gukesh wins title at World Chess Armageddon Asia & Oceania event - The Indian Express