Local chess protégé’s compete in SA

Two local chess protégé’s Arona Sharell and Laone Phoebe Moshoboro recently competed in 2017 South African Junior Chess Championships hosted by 4 Knights International Events. The event was held from 04th until 12th January 2018. The two junior player both hold the impressive title of Candidate Master (CM). The SA trip was financed by their doting mother Dipolelo Moshorobo. “Laone got her title in Zambia, 2016 while she was seven years and Arona got hers last year in Zimbabwe at only ten years.

Both players previously represented Botswana in African Individual Chess Championships,” Moshorobo said in an interview this week. “There were four different sections of the tournament and they participated in the biggest one being the South African Junior Team Chess Championship as part of team Tshwane D. Arona was under Tshwane D under 12 years category for girls.

The tournament consisted of teams from different Provinces of SA and most of the 2500 kids were all under 18 years.”Moshoboro said the self-sponsored team included other young players at the tournament. “Arona won her board prize (1st) under 12 D section, 6/7 games while her little sister Laone also won her 1st board prize together with her gold for first place under ten D section, 7/7 games. There were also four kids who joined the second event from the 09th to the 12th January. Ruth Otisitswe (under 16 girls) got 5.5 out of 7 games and won herself a silver medal.Natalie Banda under 12 girls for wild card Championships she got 5.5alsoHer brother Darius Banda under 10 boys still under wild card got silver also Thuto Mpene under 10 boys also got 6out of 7 got silver.”

According to Moshoboro, sponsoring the trip only goes to show that parents are trying by all means to help kids reach their potential in the sport. She reached out to local companies players and teams since BCF does not have enough funds.