FABI MSc student Thapelo Maboko showed that he is not just and aspiring scientist but also a skilled chess player. He was a member of the TuksChess team that won the University Sports South Africa (USSA) Chess Championship 2017 held in Johannesburg at the University of the Witwatersrand from 3-7 July. FABI PhD student Godfrey Kgatle is the Chairperson of TuksChess and officiated as the team manager for the event, organising the selection and registration of the team, sourcing sponsorship and managing all logistics for their participation in the tournament. Over the years, FABI has also provided support for the TuksChess team.

The USSA Chess tournament was attended by 198 men and a 99 ladies from 23 institutions from across South Africa with the TuksChess team comprising 10 men and six  women. This is an individual tournament with each person playing nine games. At the termination of the tournament, players from the same Institution’s points are added up. The women won their section while the men’s team was placed third overall.

Godfrey also points out that a chess player can burn up to 6,000 calories during an intense chess game. This provids a firm reason why chess is classified as a sport!