D&D School Chess

07/09/2026

♟️ ENTRIES CLOSED — CAPACITY REACHED! ♟️

We are so grateful for the wonderful response from our schools and thrilled to have reached capacity before the early bird closing date! ❤️

Thank you to everyone who submitted their entries—we can’t wait to welcome you for a fantastic day of chess on Saturday! ♟️

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

♟️We were delighted to deliver 30 chessboards to Shakaskraal Primary School today, where the chess programme is experiencing remarkable growth.

With coaching supported by North Coast Chess Club and Coastal Farmers Co-operative Limited , participation has grown from just 14 learners to 46 enthusiastic young players.

It was wonderful to see the children filling the room during their break and completely absorbed in Coach Prince’s lesson. Their growing love of chess was evident from the moment we arrived! 💙♟️

As participation continues to increase, we are pleased to help the school’s equipment begin to catch up with its growing number of players.

We look forward to watching chess continue to thrive at ShakasKraal Primary!

31/08/2026

📢📢Final Call for Schools to register for the 2027 D&D League

29/08/2026

♟️ D&D congratulates all the players who participated in the Pinetown District Summer Games Chess Trials!

A special congratulations to the D&D affiliated-school players whose results we have been able to confirm:

👏 Michael Swartz – Westville Boys’ High School
👏 Shehin Shravan Kumar – Crawford International North Coast — 2nd place, finishing on an impressive 4.5 points
🏆 Vrishti Singh – Crawford International North Coast — 1st place, U13 Girls with a fantastic full score!

The journey now continues through the KZN Summer Games development pathway, with the successful players progressing to Cluster level in September, where they will compete alongside qualifiers from other districts. ♟️

This is exactly the progression we love to see — school chess creating a pathway to bigger opportunities. 💙

Well done Michael, Shehin, Vrishti and all our D&D players who took that next step!

27/08/2026

⏳ 10 days. R10. Is your school in?
30% of capacity is already gone — has your school secured its spot? ♟️

25/08/2026

🏆 ♟️Tournament this weekend!♟️ 🏆

Reminder if you have not yet registered for Cygnet's tournament this weekend, there is still time.

For registration details or any questions, please contact the organiser directly.

Which D&D schools will be joining the action? Tag your school in the comments!

&D

23/08/2026

D&D is incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of five players from D&D-affiliated schools who have qualified for the next stage of the Summer Games pathway.

Congratulations to:

🥈 Aiden Bell (Umhlali Preparatory School)

🥇 Neha Bisram (Reddam House Ballito)

👏 Isabella Peter (Umhlali Preparatory School)

👏 Tristan Govender (Umhlali Preparatory School)

👏 Tom Walters** (Umhlali Preparatory School)

These players have earned qualification to the Eastern Cluster selections on 5 September where they will compete against the top players from districts across eastern KwaZulu-Natal for a place at the KZN Provincial Championships.

It is wonderful to see learners from our D&D schools excelling at district level and progressing through one of South Africa's main school sport pathways.

We wish Aiden, Neha, Isabella, Tristan and Tom the very best as they prepare for the next round. We will be cheering you on every step of the way! 💙♟️

18/08/2026

🏆SENIOR PRIMARY - ITS YOUR TURN!! 🏆

Schools are invited to enter the Durban & Districts Senior Primary Open Tournament taking place on 12 September 2026 at Clifton School.

♟️ Open to D&D-affiliated schools
♟️ Maximum 10 players per school
♟️ CHESSA Rated Rapid Tournament

📝 Schools must submit their entries via the official online entry form. Players wishing to participate should contact their school chess co-ordinator to be included in their school's entry.

📢 Spaces are limited, so don't wait until the last minute!

⏰ Early Bird Entries close on 7 September 2026. Don't miss out!

&DChess

17/08/2026

♟️🏆 Thank You for Your Support!

The 2026 D&D Junior Primary Open was a fantastic celebration of school chess, bringing together learners, coaches, teachers, parents, arbiters and supporters from across Durban & Districts.

A special thank you to our amazing hosts Umhlali Preparatory School, our participating schools, our generous sponsors Sugar Bay Holiday Resort and North Coast Chess Club, and everyone who helped make the event such a success.

Together, we continue to grow the game and create opportunities for young chess players to thrive! ♟️💙💛