The 2025 Chronicle

Zhengfei Li at the 16th Africa Youth Chess Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he finished second in the U16 Open category.

the top KZN school team. All four boys were ranked among the top ten best speakers, with Tumi placing third overall. This was an excellent way for our A Block boys to round out their Michael house debating careers. On that note, I would like to thank my A Block debaters for their years of service and dedication to the programme: Daniel French, Jono Boesak and Tumi Motsepe are thanked and ap plauded for their commitment, enthusiasm, support and men torship of the younger boys. Through their dynamic leadership, both as individuals and as a team, they have revolutionised the programme this year, encouraging commitment and excel lence, and orchestrating positive change. Daniel has been an exceptional chairman – I do not know what any of us would have done without him. His passion and energy were infectious and the effort he put into the running of the programme was astounding. It has been a pleasure to work with him. Finally, I would like to pay special tribute to Mr Reggie Davidson, who, tragically, is leaving us at the end of this year. Reggie has been an invaluable member of the team, both as an adjudica tor but also as an experienced and enthusiastic coach to our ju nior teams, especially the E Blockers. It is largely thanks to him that they have met with such success this year in the league. Reggie’s adjudication and coaching skills have seen him select ed as a KZN coach this year and he will be representing us at Nationals before he begins his exciting new role in Cape Town. Reggie has been a breath of fresh air and I do not know what I am going to do without him. We look forward to another successful year of collaborating, constructing and winning arguments and sharing opinions at Michaelhouse in 2026.

Secretary: Zee Mhlongwa

The Michaelhouse Chess Programme en joyed a purposeful and energising year in 2025, shaped by steady leadership, com mitted players and a full calendar of competitive and developmental opportunities. Under the guidance of Daniel French and Zee Mhlongwa, the team built a strong culture of discipline, communication and enthusiasm for the game. The year settled quickly into a productive rhythm, with junior practices on Mondays and senior sessions on Tuesdays pro viding structure and consistency. This reliable routine helped the boys prepare effectively for fixtures and strengthened the sense of unity in the squad. The season began with a closely contested online fixture against St Charles College. Michaelhouse played with composure and resilience, securing a narrow victory after several crucial fi nal-round performances. The home fixture against Northwood later in February proved more challenging, yet it showcased some of the best individual displays of the year. Daniel French delivered an outstanding eight points from nine across three matches, while Zhengfei Li recorded a polished 3-0 win. A distinctive highlight of the season was the early March fixture against Helpmekaar. Their experienced visiting team secured a convincing win, yet the strength of partnership between the schools transformed the experience into a valuable learning opportunity. Helpmekaar’s coach, Mr Roets, and his players returned the next morning to run a series of high-quality work shops and blitz rounds. These sessions, held throughout the morning in the Makan Centre, were exceptionally well received and exposed the boys to advanced strategy, rapid calculation and structured notation.

CHESS PROGRAMME Master in Charge: Mr Jedder Coventry Captain: Daniel French

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