FLIPPING BOOK CHRONICLE 2024

5. CHESS PROGRAMME Master in Charge: Mr Jed Coventry

Segal took part in the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in April, in Canberra, Australia. He was accompanied by Mrs Cahill as the team leader for the South African delegation. Seth did his school and country proud, competing against the brightest young minds in the world. Following this success, Seth qualified to be awarded honours for debating and public speaking. After a rigorous audition process, four boys were selected to participate in the National Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in East London: Daniel French, Tumi Motsepe, Connor Wilson and Oliver Thompson. Connor made it through to two out of four finals, finished 14th overall and was selected as a member of the SA delegation that will travel to the WIDPSC in Kampala, Malaysia, in 2025. We are incredibly proud of him and of what he has achieved this year. One of our goals for this year was to have more focus on public speaking and enter more competitions. These were hard to come by, and we hope to do even better next year. We entered the Clifton College Declamation, but a change in dates meant we were unable to compete. Once again there was a public speaking category to the interhouse cultural week, and the boys who excelled in interpretive reading and impromptu speaking were honoured at the inaugural Cultural Awards dinner. The interhouse debating was once again well supported by both boys and staff, and it ended up being a fiercely contested competition. This time Mackenzie came out on top in the senior division, narrowly beating East. Among the juniors, McCormick won for the second year in a row. Once again, my thanks to all the staff who gave up their time to adjudicate this event. I would like to thank my six A Block debaters for their years of service and dedication to the programme: Seth Segal, Luke Kaufmann, Damian Watson, Nathan Strachan, Chishala Kalenga and Lucien Baldry – thank you for your commitment, enthusiasm, support and mentorship of the younger boys. The programme would not be what it is without you. Special thanks and congratulations to Luke Kaufmann, who, despite his very busy schedule in the role of Second Prefect, was always able to make the time to lead the programme effectively. Finally, I would like to pay special tribute to Mr Anele Cebo, who is leaving us at the end of this year. Anele started at Michaelhouse in 2022, at the same time as I did, and he happened to wander over on our first day of school to ask if he could get involved in the debating programme. I had no idea at that moment what a significant offer that was, and how incredibly fortunate I was that he made it. Anele has been integral to the success of the programme and has become an experienced and sought-after adjudicator. He is a chair in the Pietermaritzburg league, a provincial selector and an invited nationals adjudicator. He has been offered a full-time position at Trinityhouse Little Falls School in Roodepoort, and we wish him the very best. I have no idea how I am going to manage without him, and will be eternally grateful for his partnership and support over the past three years. We look forward to another successful year of building and winning arguments, collaborating and sharing opinions at Michaelhouse in 2025.

Captain: Oliver Mostert

AWARDS Colours: Zhengfei Li OTHER AWARDS Junior Chess Champions: Ryder Jordan, Massimo Buadi (West) Senior Chess Champions: Daniel French, Nicholas French (Pascoe) Excellence in Chess Representation: Zhengfei Li he chess programme at Michaelhouse in 2024 demonstrated significant growth, innovation and determination. We began the year ambitiously by entering the AlexForbes BattleBoards Chess Championship, which introduced our players to the dynamics of online team tournaments. Although many of our players had to withdraw early owing to scheduling conflicts, the experience proved invaluable in preparing us for the evolving landscape of chess. In January, Zhengfei Li represented Johannesburg’s U16A team at the Gauteng Inter-Region Chess Championship. His performance was nothing short of exemplary, as he secured second place and earned a board prize for his outstanding contribution to his team’s success. June saw the return of the Interhouse Chess Challenge, a much anticipated highlight of the year. This spirited competition showcased the depth of talent at Michaelhouse, with Tatham, Farfield and Pascoe excelling and topping the combined junior and senior rankings. September saw the Cultural Awards dinner, a prestigious event where outstanding chess achievements were recognized. The junior chess champions, Ryder Jordan and Massimo Buadi, and the senior champions, Daniel French and Nicholas French, were celebrated for their accomplishments. Additionally, Zhengfei’s remarkable contributions earned him special recognition for excellence in chess. Throughout the year, the programme benefited from several enhancements, including the acquisition of new boards and pieces, which significantly improved the quality of practices and competitions. A partnership with the D Block Future-Fit SocieLink project further enriched the programme, bringing Michaelhouse and communities such as Jabula Combined School together through collaborative extracurricular activities. Despite broader challenges faced by the South African chess community, including governance issues and organizational instability, Michaelhouse remains committed to fostering a thriving chess culture. We look forward to building on this year’s successes and playing more interschool matches next year, providing our players with greater opportunities to develop their skills and experience competitive chess at its best. T

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