Lenasia Chess Academy Announces Its 2022 Tournament

The Lenasia Chess Academy was founded in 2002 by Ahmed Saloojee and local librarian Ferhaad Vally. During its early years, the club operated very informally. In fact, it wasn’t until 2020 that the club adopted the official name “Lenasia Chess Academy”. Shortly after the club’s inaugural tournament in 2002, which was held at the Lenasia library, club members started meeting on a regular basis at the library. These humble beginnings saw little support from the residents of Lenasia. Much of the initial support came from Soweto and the surrounding areas.

Over the next few years, the club held several social meetings as well as the occasional small competition. From 2005 to 2012 the years were fairly uneventful for the club until another tournament was held in 2012,  this time at the Lenasia Extension 3 Library. This tournament attracted 15 players and was moderately successful. The next seven years saw a hiatus in the club’s development. However, this was just the proverbial “calm before the storm”, as from 2019 onwards, the club’s development has soared and the club has not looked back.

Spurred on by weekly social meetings at the Lenasia Extension 3 Library, the period 2019 to 2022 saw major strides within the club, foremost of these being an annual tournament with the first one being held in July 2019. Each subsequent tournament attracted an increasing number of participants. Last year’s tournament boasted almost forty participants and this year’s tournament aims to attract up to sixty players.

In 2020, the onset of the Covid pandemic resulted in the club moving its activities into the online sphere, on chess.com, and introducing an online league. The club also extended its administrative capacity by co-opting onto its interim committee, Randhir Khusal and Ahmed Mohamed, who had both assisted regularly with the club’s activities. The current executive committee comprises six members with additional members Ebrahim Chand and Solomon Moyo.

In 2022, the club started playing socially against other clubs from areas such as Vlakfontein, Finetown, Soweto and Eldorado Park. According to club chairperson Ferhaad Vally, “The main focus of the club is to promote the game of chess in Lenasia and surrounding communities, but more importantly to provide an outlet for young people to engage in constructive extra-curricular activities”. The club has a number of active young players, notably Faraaz Mohamed (15), Tiya Parekh (10) and Laiqa Jawoodeen (16), who has also been instrumental in marketing the club on the social media.

Another notable player within the club’s ranks is Evasan Chettiar (28) who is one of the LCA’s strongest players. Encouraged by his parents, Evasan took up the royal game because of its proven benefits in improving focus, memory and creativity. “The LCA has gathered impressive momentum in increasing the accessibility to chess and the chance of playing strong players in the area,” said Evasan.

The club is pleased to announce that this year’s tournament on  June 26, will include the participation of 10-year-old Kajol Naidoo. Kajol’s achievements include:

• representing South Africa at the World Blitz and Rapid Chess Championship in Greece
• winning the 2021 Amayanga Yanga Athlete of the Year Award, and
• participating in several international tournaments in China, India, Greece and Africa.

In recent years the club has been fortunate to garner support and sponsorship from the local residents. “We would like to thank clothing brand K*7 (Klevas) for once again stepping in to sponsor our tournament this year,” said club co-founder Ahmed Saloojee.

The club also expressed its gratitude to the Impala Crescent Primary School and to the Lenasia Extension 3 Library for providing venues on a consistent basis, the local media for promoting the club’s activities and Vicky Magu of Gauteng Chess for his invaluable support of the club’s endeavours.

The club looks forward to participation of chess enthusiasts from all walks of life at its upcoming tournament to be held on June 26, 2022. For more information on the tournament, or to join the club, please contact Ferhaad  Vally on 084 582 5582 or Ahmedie  on 072 836 8434.

The club can be followed on its social media accounts, Twitter (@LCA_sa1) and Instagram (@lenasia_chess_academy)