Helderberg Chess Club had another strong day in the Cape Town Chess League yesterday, with all three teams competing at Altena.

The A and B teams were playing their third and fourth rounds of the league, having played their opening two rounds two weeks ago. The C team, competing in E Division, played its first three rounds yesterday.

It was a great day for the club, with plenty of strong chess, some impressive results and, most importantly, our players showing that Helderberg can compete at every level.

Helderberg A — B Division

The A team earned promotion to B Division after the previous league and has made a very positive start to life in the higher division.

In their previous match, the team opened with a 5–1 win against Manyanani B, followed by an excellent 4½–1½ victory over UWC A.

Yesterday brought two more challenging matches.

In Round 3, Helderberg faced Stellenbosch Maties B and came away with a convincing 4–2 victory.

The final round of the day was a tougher battle against Steinitz B, with Steinitz taking the match 4–2.

After four rounds, the A team is currently sitting 4th in B Division, an excellent position considering this is their first league after promotion.

A very special congratulations to Dan

There was also a very good reason why one of our regular A-team players was missing from the second match yesterday.

Congratulations to Dan Frank, who became a dad on Friday!

Dan was understandably excused from the second game of the day so that he could spend time with his new baby and family.

We are very happy for Dan and wish him and his family all the best as they start this exciting new chapter. We’re sure he’ll be back at the chessboard soon — although perhaps with slightly less sleep!

Helderberg B — C Division

The B team also earned promotion after the previous league and has moved up into C Division.

Their first two rounds, played two weeks ago, resulted in a 3–3 draw against Kraaifontein C and a 4–2 win against Zutari A.

Yesterday, the team faced Steinitz C in Round 3. It was a very close match, with Steinitz eventually taking the win 3½–2½.

The team bounced back strongly in Round 4, beating UCT B 5–0 after UCT failed to arrive for the match.

The B team is currently 4th in C Division, putting them in a strong position after four rounds in their first season at the higher level.

Helderberg C — Leading E Division

The C team had an exceptional start to their league campaign.

Competing in E Division, they played three rounds yesterday and won all three matches.

They opened with a dominant 5½–½ victory over Kraaifontein D, followed by a hard-fought 3½–2½ win against Grassy Park C.

Then came an outstanding performance in Round 3, when Helderberg C defeated Four Seasons B by a perfect 6–0.

That’s 15 points from a possible 18 boards, and it puts Helderberg C at the top of E Division.

A club going from strength to strength

It’s a great time to be part of Helderberg Chess Club.

Both the A and B teams have stepped up into higher divisions following promotion in the previous league, and both are currently sitting 4th in their divisions. Meanwhile, the C team has started its campaign at the top of E Division.

Across the three teams, Helderberg players have already scored 45½? points from the available boards — a reflection of the strong chess being played throughout the club.

There is still a long way to go in the league, but the early results are very encouraging.

A huge well done to all our players who represented Helderberg at Altena yesterday. And, of course, congratulations again to Dan Frank and his family on their new arrival!

We look forward to seeing what the rest of the league brings.

Go Helderberg!