Boois, Vedika crowned chess champs at Henties Bay Open

Ivan Boois and Kambueshe Vedika were crowned champions in the Open and Women’s sections at the recently concluded Henties Bay Open Chess Championships held at Henties Bay Private School.

The Swiss system tournament, hosted by the Coastal Chess Association, was the 15th leg of the Bank Windhoek Grand Prix competitions. It attracted 28 players from Windhoek, Walvis Bay Swakopmund and Henties Bay, who engaged in strategic battles for top honours.

Boois, who hails from Swakopmund, demonstrated complete dominance in the Open section, thrashing all challengers to clinch a perfect record of seven points for the overall title.

He was overjoyed by the achievement and acknowledged that it was a competitive tournament with upcoming juniors giving him a run for his money. “Although I won the tournament, the fact that the younger players have grown strong was hard to miss,” he noted.



No win without hard work

Emphasising the hard work in preparing for chess competitions, he said: “You have to put a lot of work into it. You can't just expect to win.”

He added: “I prepare and train every day in chess, solving a set amount of puzzles on Lichess and working continuously on my opening and calculation skills. As a school chess instructor, I work on my game almost daily to stay sharp and keep pace with my students’ progress.”

Earlier this year, Boois dominated the Bank Windhoek Swakopmund Grand Prix Leg 9 tournament and came second in the Walvis Bay Grand Prix 8 event.

The Open section’s runner-up was Campbell Clarence Clive in second with six points, and Finos Gwanyanya in third with five points.



Women section winners

In the Women’s section, Vedika claimed victory with four points, besting Neriah Gwanyanya (3.5) and Jasmin Mtembi (2), who secured second and third places, respectively.

Reflecting on her achievement, she admitted that she is both proud and surprised by her success. “The prize money was unexpectedly rewarding and I hope that increased sponsorship would help elevate chess prize funds.

“Open tournaments are always full of surprises, with players of all ages and skill levels competing together. I enjoy playing chess, so every competition is important to me,” said Vedika.



Other outstanding players

The championships also recognised outstanding young players. In the under-20 Junior division, Reuben Petrus topped with five points. He said: “I was well-prepared, though I missed one round and only learned that morning that I’d be competing in the junior U20 section.

“I was a bit nervous, but everything went great in the end. I played against opponents I’d never faced before, which gave me a valuable opportunity to grow.”

He was followed by Jasper Uys and Jonathan Titus, each with four points but separated on technicalities.

In the U12 Cadet category, Shaylah Ivins, Cruz Prinsloo and Skye Vermaak each scored 3.5 points, with Ivins taking the top spot on technicalities.

Local player Duandre van Wyk was named Best Local Player with a score of four points.

‘More chess players on international chess scene’

Tournament organiser, Immanuel Gariseb, nicknamed “Coach Imz” said the event helped support the Namibia Chess Federation’s (NCF) efforts to grow chess in the country. The tournament was part of NCF’s ongoing development programme, aimed at nurturing talent and fostering a love for chess among young players.

“We aim to host more similar tournaments with the vision of seeing more Namibian players making a mark on the international chess scene. We thank Bank Windhoek for their continued sponsorship and support,” he remarked.

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