Pon and Co. ready for tough competition at USSA Chess tournament
- Tshepiso Mametela
The Wits Chess Club will be hoping to match the success enjoyed at last year’s USSA National Institutional Chess Championships with a successful assault at this year’s tournament which takes places at Rhodes University from 2 to 6 December.
Wits have assembled a men’s team compromising 10 players who will compete in the open section, while a team of five women’s players comprising of Pragna Singh; Reneilwe Shiane; Athule Ngqalakwezi; Portia Matenchi and Portia Ndlovu, will charge for gold in the women’s section.
The 10 men’s players are Matt Pon; Roberto De Abreu; Koketso Mathebe; Ncedo Buthelezi; Lucky Kubheka; Rapelo Rakobela; Shaun Sepuru; Nkosikhona Khuphe; Bokamoso Gaetsosiwe and Kashe Ditaba. “The competition has been tough every year, so, I expect nothing different,” said Pon, who is the Donate-A-Piece Chess Player of the Year award recipient for 2019. “But I fully expect that our team can compete for the top positions.”
The Master of Commerce student has previously won the South African Junior Closed Chess Championships on three occasions, and said the two Wits teams have been improving throughout the year at practices, and at internal and external tournaments. “We have planned extra training sessions in the build-up towards the USSA Chess tournament.
Under no illusions but track-record speaks for itself
“This year, we have two strong teams which will definitely be in competition for all three categories, namely the Top Men's Team, Top Women's Team and Best Overall University. The Wits Chess team won the Top Men's Team award in 2017 and 2018, and won the Best Overall University in 2017 and finished as runners-up in 2018. So, we are looking to improve on (and retain) those results,” said Pon.
Adding to his list of achievements, the chess ace received South African colours and represented the country internationally at junior level on 11 occasions, prior to representing South Africa at senior level at the African Zonal Chess Championships in 2017. This year, Pon qualified for the South African (Adult) Closed Chess Championships, which serves as a qualifying event for the World Chess Olympiad in 2020.
To earn the Donate-A-Piece Chess Player of the Year award, Pon had to attain a minimum performance rating of at least 1800 at previously played tournaments in addition to competing in at least three rated tournaments for the year of nomination. He also qualified for the USSA Chess Championships after satisfying the minimum score of 75 per cent at the Wits Chess Trials, while he had also previously qualified for the highly-prized World University Chess Championships.
“This is my first time receiving the award,” said Pon. “I was a bit surprised as there are other really good chess players within the Wits Chess Club, but honoured to be selected, as chess is something quite important to me.” The champion chess player and the Wits teams will now prepare for a sensational showcase ahead of the December 2 start in Grahamstown.
Matt Pon - 2019 Donate-A-Piece Chess Player of the Year