By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – Top young chess players from around the country will gather in Windhoek on 27 and 28 December 2014 to take part in the Kehat Beukes Memorial Chess Tournament, hosted by the Namibia Chess Federation.
This tourney is the longest running chess event on the calendar of the Namibia Chess Federation and is a celebration of the life of Dr Kehat Beukes, who was the president of the Namibia Chess Federation.
Beukes founded the tournament, then known as the Swakopmund International Chess Tournament in 1994. Although the tourney is aimed at attracting the best young chess players from Namibia, it will also attract travelling international players.
“Chess has been man’s principle form of mental recreation for over 2 000 years. With more than 860 million chess players around the world this age old game can still be used to instill new strengths in its practitioners,” said Charles Eichab, development officer of the Namibia Chess Federation.
“Always played in December, the tourney maintains its festive and celebratory mood and will this year be hosted at the Thüringer Hof Hotel in Windhoek,” Eichab said.
“The Kehat Beukes Tournament is one of the longest running tournaments in the country and has attracted hundreds of players over the past 20 years. It is one of the longest running events on the sports calendar and Bank Windhoek is proud to be associated with this tournament,” said Riaan van Rooyen, head of corporate communication and social investment at Bank Windhoek.
“Chess teaches you to believe in yourself and to take calculated risks – skills very much needed in everyday life. At Bank Windhoek we believe that these characteristics are important for especially young people to learn as this will help them to achieve success in life,” Van Rooyen said.
For more information on the Kehat Beukes Memorial Chess Tournament, contact Eichab at cell number 081 623 8160 or send an email to president@namibiachessfederation.com