African Chess Lounge

African Chess Lounge If you love chess, you’ll love this club. Uplifting Communities Through Chess

The club hosts lectures and exhibitions about chess, offers tournaments regularly, and works with the community at large to promote chess in Africa.

ACL took seven students to the 17th African Youth Chess Championship in Entebbe, Uganda. Three time controls. Fifteen en...
25/05/2026

ACL took seven students to the 17th African Youth Chess Championship in Entebbe, Uganda. Three time controls. Fifteen entries. Here’s the report. 👉

Lethlogonolo “Tlhogi” Dikolomela is one of South Africa’s most promising junior chess players, hailing from the Bojanala...
11/05/2026

Lethlogonolo “Tlhogi” Dikolomela is one of South Africa’s most promising junior chess players, hailing from the Bojanala Region in North West Province.

Still in her early teens, she has already built an international competitive record that sets her apart from her peers.

Tlhogi has represented South Africa at the BRICS & SCO Chess Super Final in Moscow (July 2025) and competed in international tournaments in both Georgia and Russia, accumulating cross-board experience that most junior players her age have not yet encountered.

On the continental stage, this year’s African Youth Chess Championship in Uganda marks her second appearance at the tournament — having previously competed in the U14 Girls division at the 2024 edition. Domestically, she placed 6th in the U16 Girls category at the SAJCCC 2026 Championships, competing against older players as she transitions up in age group.

Tlhogi is one of the ACL Academy players selected to represent South Africa at this year’s African Youth Chess Championship in Uganda, a milestone that reflects both her individual progress and the Academy’s growing footprint on the continental stage.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the chess moms ♟️💐If it wasn’t for moms, these brilliant chess players wouldn’t be here… liter...
10/05/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the chess moms ♟️💐

If it wasn’t for moms, these brilliant chess players wouldn’t be here… literally and emotionally...

Thank you for the lifts, the snacks, the tournament weekends, the stress during tie-breaks and the unconditional support behind every move ♟️

♟️ACL Shines at Western Cape Provincial Championship! 🔥♟️This past weekend (2–3 May 2026), some of the Western Cape’s st...
05/05/2026

♟️ACL Shines at Western Cape Provincial Championship! 🔥♟️

This past weekend (2–3 May 2026), some of the Western Cape’s strongest young players gathered at Carpe Diem School for the Western Cape Schools High School Individual Provincial Championship.

With six intense rounds and top provincial talent in action, the competition was fierce—but African Chess Lounge (ACL) players rose to the challenge with outstanding performances across multiple sections! 💪♟️

🏆 Results:

U15 Girls
🥈 WRM Mila Snyman – 5.5 pts
7th - Danielle Stevens - 4.5 pts
13th – Gia Kalpee - 4 pts

U15 Boys
🥈 JNM Shaurya Singh – 5.5 pts
🥉 Chase Salimu – 5.5 pts
4th – Kyle Meissenheimer – 5 pts
7th – JM Janko Weideman – 4.5 pts
10th – Aiden Matima – 4.5 pts
22nd - Zion Smith - 4 pts

U18 Girls
14th – Lee-Anne Matima – 4 pts

U18 Boys
8th – Callum Lau – 4.5 pts
15th – Mohammed Zayan Khan – 4 pts
38th – Darius Daemi – 3 pts

👏 A massive congratulations to all our players! Competing at this level is no small feat, and these results reflect the hard work, dedication, and passion within the ACL community.

💥 Special mention to our top finishers and podium achievers, and to all players who battled through tough rounds with resilience and focus.

🚀 The future of chess is bright—and ACL is proud to be part of the journey!

♟️

♟️ ACL Chess Academy Dominates SAJCCC 2026Champions. Depth. International Qualification.Cape Town — The ACL Chess Academ...
03/04/2026

♟️ ACL Chess Academy Dominates SAJCCC 2026

Champions. Depth. International Qualification.

Cape Town — The ACL Chess Academy delivered a high-impact performance at the South African Junior Closed Chess Championships (SAJCCC) 2026, fielding 19 players and producing:
• 3 National Champions
• Multiple podium finishes
• 8 International qualifiers (Top 10 finishes)

This was not a narrow success. It was a multi-section result across the entire squad.

⸻

🏆 Champions Leading from the Front

ACL Chess Academy produced three national champions:
• Madison Lambrechts — 🥇 U12 Girls Champion (8/9)
• Shaurya Singh — 🥇 U14 Open Champion
• Amy Liu — 🥇 U14 Girls Champion

In the U14 Open, the academy controlled the podium:
• Janko Weideman — 🥈 2nd
• Tshireletso Kalimashe — 🥉 3rd

Three players on the same podium = system dominance, not coincidence.

⸻

🌍 International Qualification: 8 Players Advance

Top 10 finishes secured international representation for South Africa:
• Madison Lambrechts — 1st (U12 Girls)
• Shaurya Singh — 1st (U14 Open)
• Amy Liu — 1st (U14 Girls)
• Janko Weideman — 2nd (U14 Open)
• Tshireletso Kalimashe — 3rd (U14 Open)
• Callan Manning — 4th (U12 Open)
• Thloghi Dikolomela — 6th (U16 Girls)
• Neha Bisram — 8th (U14 Girls)

This is a conversion metric: players moving from national competition → international stage.

⸻

♟️ Full Academy Results

Under 10 Open
• Mikhael Villem Anthonissen — 16th
• Vuya Mdaka — 22nd
• Lonwabo Xhalabilie — 48th

⸻

Under 12 Girls
• Madison Lambrechts — 🥇 1st
• Willow Brumskine — 29th

⸻

Under 12 Open
• Callan Manning — 4th
• Longezo Ndwandwa — 21st
• Benji Whyatt — 23rd

⸻

Under 14 Open
• Shaurya Singh — 🥇 1st
• Janko Weideman — 🥈 2nd
• Tshireletso Kalimashe — 🥉 3rd
• Kyle Messenheimer — 20th
• Senogo Masoeu — 40th

⸻

Under 14 Girls
• Amy Liu — 🥇 1st
• Neha Bisram — 8th
• Danielle Stevens — 28th

⸻

Under 16 Girls
• Thloghi Dikolomela — 6th
• Mila Snyman — 11th

⸻

Under 18 Open
• Callum Lau — 25th

⸻

📊 What This Tournament Shows
• Top-end performance → Champions and podium finishes
• Mid-field strength → Consistent presence across sections
• Full pipeline activity → 19 p

♟️ CLUB RESULTS ROUND-UP:We are incredibly proud of our players who competed across multiple tournaments and district tr...
19/02/2026

♟️ CLUB RESULTS ROUND-UP:

We are incredibly proud of our players who competed across multiple tournaments and district trials. The hard work is definitely paying off! 💪🔥

Welgemoed Rapid
U8 Boys:🥇
Theeran Varadharajan (1st place!)
Nathan Rehse – (1st place!)
U10 Boys:
Akilan Varadharajan (7th), Charles Whyatt (28th)
U12 Girls:
Lily He (24th)
U14 Boys:
Kent Lenting (5th), Benji Whyatt (11th)

Cape Winelands Trials
U13 Girls:🥇
Madison Lamprechts (1st place!)
U13 Boys:
Adrihan Viljoen (11th)

Lower West Coast District Trials
U9 Boys:
Migal Erasmus (4th)
U11 Boys:🥇
Daniël Erasmus (1st place!)

Metro North District Trials – High School
U15 Boys:
Shaurya Singh (1st)
Chase Salimu (2nd)
Janko Weideman (4th)
Aiden Matima (5th)
Kevin Gwanzuru (9th)
Jordan Braaf (12th)

U15 Girls:
Mila Snyman (2nd)
U17 Girls:
Lee-Anne Matima (5th)
U19 Boys:
Ruhan Somai (3rd)

Special congratulations to all our podium finishers — and to every single player who showed up, fought hard, and represented the club with determination and pride.

The future of our club is looking very strong! ♟️💙

Huge congratulations to Callum Lau, who claimed 1st place in the District Central U19 Boys section this weekend with a f...
11/02/2026

Huge congratulations to Callum Lau, who claimed 1st place in the District Central U19 Boys section this weekend with a flawless 6 out of 6 score!

Finishing on a perfect score at district level is no small feat and speaks volumes about Callum’s preparation, focus, and competitive strength. A clean sweep in the U19 division is an outstanding achievement.

We are incredibly proud of you, Callum — what a performance! 👏♟️🔥

♟️ DISTRICT TRIALS – DISTRICT EAST ♟️Rounding off an outstanding weekend, our District East players competed with confid...
09/02/2026

♟️ DISTRICT TRIALS – DISTRICT EAST ♟️

Rounding off an outstanding weekend, our District East players competed with confidence and heart.

District East Results:
U9 Girls
• 2nd – Sophia Smith
U13 Boys
• 1st – Kent Lenting
U15 Boys
• 5th – Zion Smith
• 11th Diago Lekay

These results contribute to an impressive 24 club members who competed at the district level this weekend — a massive milestone for our club!
Next weekend, there will be more district trials for the District North High Schools.

♟️ DISTRICT TRIALS – DISTRICT NORTH ♟️Our District North players delivered a fantastic weekend of chess, showing grit, p...
09/02/2026

♟️ DISTRICT TRIALS – DISTRICT NORTH ♟️

Our District North players delivered a fantastic weekend of chess, showing grit, preparation, and passion at every board.

District North Results:
U7 Boys
• 3rd – Theeran Varadharajan
U9 Boys
• 2nd – Akilan Varadharajan
U11 Boys
• 12th – Anthonissen, Mikhael Villem
• AJ Maritz
U11 Girls
• 1st – Madalitso Ramonyaluoe
• 3rd – Lily He
U13 Boys
• 1st – Callan Manning
• 11th – JJ Maritz
• 12th – Jhash Somai
• 16th – Ayden James
• 24th – Jason Botha
U13 Girls
• 4th – Giavanna Boysen
• 5th – Seristhi Singh
• 13th – Leane Maritz

We absolutely loved the action shots and smiling faces sent in — thank you for sharing these special moments with us! 📸♟️
So proud of every player who represented our club in District North.

♟️ DISTRICT TRIALS – CENTRAL DISTRICT ♟️This weekend, our club had an incredible showing at the Central District trials,...
09/02/2026

♟️ DISTRICT TRIALS – CENTRAL DISTRICT ♟️

This weekend, our club had an incredible showing at the Central District trials, with players competing across multiple age groups and representing us with focus, confidence, and great sportsmanship.
Central District Results:
U9 Boys:
• 6th – Charlie Wyhatt
• 14th – Friedrich Weyers
U13 Boys:
• 3rd – Benji Wyhatt
• 14th – Marco Weyers

U13 Girls:
• 9th – Hannah Shapiro

U15 Boys:
• 1st – Matthew Shapiro
• 2nd – Kyle Meissenheimer

U17 Boys:
• Darius Daemi

A huge thank you to our players and parents for the awesome photos — they truly capture the determination and spirit of the day. 📸♟️
Well done, Central District team!

Address

1 Memento Drive, Sonstraal Heights
Cape Town
7550

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 20:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 20:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 20:00
Thursday 09:00 - 20:00
Friday 09:00 - 20:00
Saturday 11:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27785727546

Website

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