# Chess in South Africa

The following lists competitions for Chess in South Africa.

## Chess Olympiads

South Africa first participated in the 1958 Olympiad in Munich. The team stopped participating in international chess in 1974 due to the sports boycott as a result of the country's apartheid policies, returning to play at the 1992 Olympiad after the end of apartheid.

### Open

| Year | Event | Location | Players | Position |
| 1958 | 13th Chess Olympiad | Munich, West Germany | Heidenfeld, Dreyer, Kirby, Grivainis, Isaacson, Stern | 27/36 |
| 1964 | 16th Chess Olympiad | Tel Aviv, Israel | Dreyer, Kirby, Rubinsztein, Friedgood, Wolpert, Isaacson | 44/50 |
| 1966 | 17th Chess Olympiad | Havana, Cuba | Dreyer, Kroon, Heyns, Hangelbroek, Price, Wilken | 43/52 |
| 1968 | 18th Chess Olympiad | Lugano, Switzerland | Friedgood, Kroon, Morschel, Griffiths, Hangelbroek | 36/53 |
| 1970 | 19th Chess Olympiad | Siegen, West Germany | Friedgood, Price, Heyns, Griffiths, Dreyer, Bloch | 43/60 |
| 1974 | 21st Chess Olympiad | Nice, France | Friedgood, Kroon, Korostenski, de Villiers, Bloch | DNF/63* |
| 1992 | 30th Chess Olympiad | Manila, Philippines | Solomons, de Villiers, D Gluckman, Kobese, Bouah, M Solomon | 63/102 |
| 1994 | 31st Chess Olympiad | Moscow, Russia | Solomons, Kobese, de Villiers, Bouah, M Solomon | 58/124 |
| 1996 | 32nd Chess Olympiad | Yerevan, Armenia | D Gluckman, Michelakis, Kobese, Levitt, Kromhout, Pearson | 63/114 |
| 1998 | 33rd Chess Olympiad | Elista, Russia | Kobese, Rubery, K Solomon, de Villiers, Cawdery | 80/110 |
| 2000 | 34th Chess Olympiad | Istanbul, Turkey | D Gluckman, K Solomon, van der Nat, Kromhout, M Solomon | 68/129 |
| 2002 | 35th Chess Olympiad | Bled, Slovenia | D Gluckman, K Solomon, J Gluckman, Levitt, Aranov, Kromhout | 102/140 |
| 2004 | 36th Chess Olympiad | Calvià, Spain | Michelakis, Kobese, K Solomon, D Gluckman, Solomons, J Gluckman | 55/129 |
| 2006 | 37th Chess Olympiad | Turin, Italy | Kobese, K Solomon, van der Nat, Cawdery, Ophoff, van den Heever | 83/150 |
| 2008 | 38th Chess Olympiad | Dresden, Germany | Kobese, K Solomon, Steel, Cawdery, Mabusela | 58/154 |
| 2010 | 39th Chess Olympiad | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia | K Solomon, Kobese, Steel, Mabusela, van den Heever | 74/149 |
| 2012 | 40th Chess Olympiad | Istanbul, Turkey | K Solomon, Kobese, Steel, Mabusela, Cawdery | 62/157 |
| 2014 | 41st Chess Olympiad | Tromsø, Norway | K Solomon, Steel, Kobese, van den Heever, D Gluckman | 82/177 |
| 2016 | 42nd Chess Olympiad | Baku, Azerbaijan | K Solomon, Cawdery, Kobese, van den Heever, Klaasen | 97/180 |
| 2018 | 43rd Chess Olympiad | Batumi, Georgia | Cawdery, Kobese, Klaasen, Mabusela, van den Heever | 70/185 |
| 2022 | 44th Chess Olympiad | Chennai, India | K Solomon, Cawdery, Barrish, Mhango, Kobese | 55/188 |
| 2024 | 45th Chess Olympiad | Budapest, Hungary | Barrish, Karsten, Levitan, Mhango, Cawdery | 67/196 |
* - In 1974, FIDE expelled the team with three rounds to go due to the country's apartheid policies.

### Women

| Year | Event | Location | Players | Position |
| 1998 | 33rd Chess Olympiad | Elista, Russia | Erwee, Minnaar, Frank, Laubscher | 62/72 |
| 2000 | 34th Chess Olympiad | Istanbul, Turkey | Minnaar, Meyer, Frick, van der Merwe | 71/86 |
| 2002 | 35th Chess Olympiad | Bled, Slovenia | van der Merwe, Pretorius, Neethling, Bleazard | 68/93 |
| 2004 | 36th Chess Olympiad | Calvià, Spain | van der Merwe, Pretorius, Frick, Ellappen | 68/87 |
| 2006 | 37th Chess Olympiad | Turin, Italy | Frick, Ellappen, Moodliar, Laubscher | 66/108 |
| 2008 | 38th Chess Olympiad | Dresden, Germany | Solomons, Greeff, Ellappen, de Jager, Sischy | 57/114 |
| 2010 | 39th Chess Olympiad | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia | Greeff, Solomons, Sischy, Ezeet, Mbalenhie | 69/115 |
| 2012 | 40th Chess Olympiad | Istanbul, Turkey | Greeff, van der Merwe, Solomons, Frick, Tlale | 65/127 |
| 2014 | 41st Chess Olympiad | Tromsø, Norway | Frick, Solomons, Tlale, R van Niekerk, Fisher | 72/136 |
| 2016 | 42nd Chess Olympiad | Baku, Azerbaijan | Frick, Laubscher, February, Fisher, L van Niekerk | 72/140 |
| 2018 | 43rd Chess Olympiad | Batumi, Georgia | February, Bouah, Fisher, Selkirk, van Zyl | 62/151 |
| 2022 | 44th Chess Olympiad | Chennai, India | February, van Zyl, Badenhorst, Selkirk, Bouah | 100/162 |
| 2024 | 45th Chess Olympiad | Budapest, Hungary | February, Badenhorst, Klaasen, Nel, Strong | 87/183 |

## Major tournaments

Major tournaments hosted in South Africa include the South African Chess Championship and the South African Open.
In 2023, the first Cape Town Chess Masters was held.

## Top players

South Africa has one grandmaster; Kenny Solomon. Solomon earned the title by winning the African Chess Championship in December 2014. Solomon is however not the top-ranked player in the country.
| Rank | Player | Rating | Year of birth |
| 1 | IM Henry Steel | 2413 | 1989 |
| 2 | IM Daniel Cawdery | 2350 | 1982 |
| 3 | IM Jan Karsten | 2327 | 2008 |
| 4 | FM Caleb Levitan | 2293 | 2010 |
| 5 | FM Roland Bezuidenhout | 2285 | 1997 |
| 6 | FM Daniel Barrish | 2284 | 2000 |
| 7 | GM Kenny Solomon | 2280 | 1979 |
| 8 | CM Ja Ophoff | 2273 | 1979 |
| 9 | CM Watu Kobese | 2264 | 1973 |
| 10 | FM Jack Van Zyl-Rudd | 2248 | 2002 |
as of January 2025

### Top female players

| Rank | Player | Rating | Year of birth |
| 1 | WIM Jesse February | 2052 | 1997 |
| 2 | WFM Chloe Badenhorst | 2004 | 2007 |
| 3 | WCM Chisomo Boshoma | 1944 | 2007 |
| 4 | WIM Charlize Van Zyl | 1940 | 1999 |
| 5 | WCM Hayley Nel | 1830 | 2006 |
as of January 2025