North Coast Chess Club

♟️ And just like that we are done with round 4! ♟️

The standings are beginning to take shape, there may only be 2 rounds left but there is still plenty of chess to be played.

Tonight some games were over quickly, others took a bit longer—but all around the boards, the smiles were constant. 😊

Two rounds remain - follow the tournament here: 👉🏼 https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1475010.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=4&SNode=S0

What a beautiful morning we had at Shakaskraal Primary School, meeting some of their incredibly eager young chess learners! ♟️😍

The school’s growing appreciation for chess was clear from the moment we walked in—from the beautiful murals on the walls and the chessboard in reception to the enthusiasm of the principal, Coach Prince and, most importantly, the children themselves.

North Coast Chess Club partnered with Shakaskraal Primary in Term 2 by sponsoring a term of coaching with our amazing Coach Prince.

We saw real progress among his learners during that term. So, when Coastal Farmers approached us with a donation to give back to chess, we knew exactly where we wanted it to go: towards another term of coaching at Shakaskraal.

And the results speak for themselves. What began with just 14 children has grown into 46 eager learners, all filing into the chess room during their break today to take part in the session!

It was incredibly special to witness their enthusiasm and see how completely absorbed they were in the lesson. 💙

With the programme growing so quickly, D&D Schools Chess Association also delivered 30 chessboards to the school today, helping its equipment begin to catch up with the increasing number of players.

The growth has been remarkable, and we are thrilled to have played a small part in nurturing their love of the game. 💙♟️

A heartfelt thank you to Coastal Farmers Co-operative Limited for helping this wonderful programme continue to grow.

♟️ A big well done to all our North Coast Chess Club players who took part in the Cygnet Chess Tournament today! 👏🔥

♟️ Our U10 M&M special Milan & Micah 😄
♟️ U12: Josiah
♟️ U14: Jared & Zipho

And we had some fantastic podium finishes! 🏆

🥈 Milan & Micah tie 2nd U10
🥈 Josiah – 2nd U12
🥈 Jared – 2nd U14

That's a whole lot of silver coming back to the North Coast!🥈🥈🥈🥈

Well done to Milan, Micah, Josiah, Jared and Zipho for getting out there, competing and representing NCCC with pride. Every tournament is another opportunity to learn, grow and get stronger over the board. 💪♟️

Congratulations, everyone — keep playing, keep competing and keep enjoying the game! 💙

Congratulations to our North Coast Chess Club players who stepped up to the boards at the Pinetown District Summer Games Chess Trials this past Friday! 👏♟️

🌟 Snehin
🌟 Sahilin
🌟 Saiyeshan
🏆 Vrishti

Putting yourself forward for District trials means taking on new opponents, new challenges and another level of competitive chess — and that alone deserves recognition! 💪♟️

👏 A special congratulations to Snehin and Vrishti, who earned their places in the next round of selections! 🏆

➡️ Next stop: Cluster level in September!

We love seeing our players — past and present — taking advantage of these opportunities and following the wider KZN school chess development pathway. Every step outside your comfort zone is another step forward. 💙♟️

Well played, Snehin, Sahilin, Saiyeshan and Vrishti! 👏

♟️ We’re halfway through our Term 3 Swiss! 🔥♟️

With Round 3 now complete, the finishing positions are starting to take shape — and every point matters! 👀

The competition is heating up, the leaderboard is tightening, and there’s still plenty of chess to be played.

Who has what it takes to go the distance and claim the top spot?🏆

Follow the tournament results here: https://share.google/5GMt3AvrUZL2HCw4F

Good luck to all our players as we head into the second half — keep your heads cool, your tactics sharp, and your pieces moving! ♟️🔥

🏆♟️ And the weekend wins keep coming!♟️🏆

We're delighted to celebrate another winning result from the Dr Mahlanga Chess Club Tournament held at Umhlali.

A huge congratulations to Micah, who claimed 1st Place in the Junior Section with a full score! 🌟🏆♟️

We are so incredibly proud of all our players! We can't wait to see where your chess journey takes you next. 👏♟️

It's been a weekend of wins for North Coast Chess Club players, who were competing across multiple tournaments and bringing home some impressive results!

♟️🌟 Hillcrest Primary Chess Tournament 🌟♟️

A huge congratulations to Milan, who was unstoppable, winning the Junior Primary Section on a full score and walking away with a R200 Toys R Us voucher for his outstanding performance. Well done, Milan – a brilliant achievement!

♟️🌟 Dr Mahlanga Chess Club Tournament – Umhlali*🌟♟️

Congratulations to Asher, who claimed 1st Place with a full score in the Senior Primary Section! 🥇

And to Josiah, who secured 2nd Place, in the Senior Primary section making it a North Coast one-two finish! 🥈

And to Micah, who claimed 1st Place in the Junior Section with a full score! 🏆

What a fantastic showing from our North Coast players across both tournaments!

Now the question is... 🤔

♟️ Where will our North Coast players be spotted next? 👀

🏆♟️ CONGRATULATIONS AIDEN & NEHA! ♟️🏆

We are incredibly proud of our two North Coast Chess Club players who competed in the iLembe Summer Games Chess Selection Tournament at the ML Sultan Campus yesterday, proudly representing KwaDukuza.

🥈 Aiden Bell finished 2nd in the U13 Boys Section, earning his place in the next round of the competition.

🥇 Neha Bisram made the ladies proud by winning the U13 Girls Section, securing 1st place and progressing to the next stage.

Their outstanding performances have earned them qualification to the Eastern Cluster Championships, where they will face the top players from districts across eastern KwaZulu-Natal in pursuit of a place at the KZN Provincial Championships.

The Summer Games pathway is one of the most prestigious school sport structures in the country, with players progressing through:

♟️ District → Cluster → Provincial → National Championships

The ultimate goal is the opportunity to represent KwaZulu-Natal at the National School Sport Championships.

Congratulations, Aiden and Neha, on this fantastic achievement👏🏼👏🏼

We will be watching out for you in Round 2! 👀

♟️ **North Coast Chess Club — Round 2 of the Swiss!** ♟️

Round 2 is done! Players arrived, did what they needed to do to see them through to next week… and then promptly disappeared again! 😂♟️

We do love a Swiss tournament — every game matters, every point counts, and there’s still plenty of chess to be played.

It was a new week, a new game and the return of photographer!!… a **huge thank you to our amazing photographer, Cornel!** 📸 After being missing in action for a while, it’s fantastic to have you back behind the camera. Your photos do a brilliant job of capturing the players, the concentration, the intensity — and occasionally the moments in between! 😄

With Round 2 in the books, we’re heading into **Round 3 next week — and that means we’re already halfway through the tournament!** 🏁♟️

The battles, like the weather, are heating up 🔥 and with the standings starting to take shape, there’s still plenty to play for.

Who’s climbing the table? Who’s hanging on? Who’s quietly plotting their next move? 👀

We’ll find out next week… ♟️🔥