Chess Moves are Life Moves

Chess moves are life moves: Zuma
24 December 2010

Quick thinking was the order of the day at the recent Moves for Life chess tournament in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. Moves for Life patron Jacob Zuma was in attendance, squaring off against some formidable youngsters – and planning the next move in taking the game to even more South Africans.

South African President Jacob Zuma, whose love for the game of strategy is well-known, had a trick or two to show the smart kids at Wednesday's tournament.

The participants came from all over KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng province. Among those in attendance were international master Watu Kobese and South African champion Kgaogelo Mosetle.

Unlocking potential

Moves for Life met with Zuma at his house in Nkandla this week to plan their next move in taking the game that teaches logic and problem-solving skills to even more South African children.

According to its website, Moves for Life helps to unlock people's potential through exposure to the game of chess, with its unique features enabling an innovative, structured programme for chess education from the lowest grades up.

"The basic analytical functions required to play chess are of the same nature as the brain functions required to tackle subjects such as maths and science," says Moves for Life. "Chess training, at any level of competence, helps people to tackle logic-based problems like those found in maths and science."

Reaching out to more places

The Moves for Life tournament is in its second year, and there are plans to make it even bigger.

"The President wants us to reach out to more places, particularly where there are previously disadvantaged people," tournament organiser Sandile Xulu told BuaNews. "Next year, we plan to move to other rural areas because people want us to, and the response has been great."

Moves for Life will also partner with KwaZulu Chess, co-founded by President Zuma, to roll out a chess programme for schools from February.

Ten schools in KwaZulu-Natal, including schools in Nkandla and Richards Bay, will be among the first targeted. Xulu said they hoped to reach still more schools in the near future.

Source: http://www.southafrica.info

Moves for Life

Moves for Life
By Dr. Kelvin Kemm
MFL Trustee

On 22 December the Moves for Life team held a chess tournament in the deep rural area of Nkandla of the province of Kwa Zulu-Natal in South Africa. This area is the home area of President Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa. President Zuma specifically invited the Moves For Life team to arrange the tournament in the area. This area of Nkandla is the legendary home area of the great historic king of the Zulu nation, King Shaka who ruled some 200 years ago. Today the area is still largely underdeveloped, and consists of beautiful rolling hills and deep valleys, which are beautiful, but in some cases, rather difficult to penetrate due to the steep terrain.

President Zuma is himself a chess player, and has taken a great interest in the Moves For Life project which aims to bring the game of chess to as many South African schools as possible with the objective of improving school performance amongst learners.

On 21 December the MFL team visited a school in a remote area to promote chess in preparation for the 2011 campaign in the area. There was great excitement at the school and MFL trainer and trustee Marisa van der Merwe coached teachers, while trustee IM Watu Kobese gave some children an enthusiastic introduction to chess. After the chess instruction the school Traditional Dance Group gave the MFL team a thankyou dance on the school football field.

The next day the Tournament took place some 75km away in Nkandla. Young and old alike flocked to the local Community Hall where President Zuma opened the proceedings and also mingled with the players. He played a couple of games with the young players, and then handed out the prizes. To round off the day a helicopter from the South African Air Force arrived to give the young chess players air flips over their valleys. None of the young players had ever left the ground before.

President Zuma also invited the MFL team to his country house the next day to discuss tactics for the way forward.

(Dr Kelvin Kemm is a Nuclear Physicist and a Trustee of the Moves For Life project)