D&D School Chess

29/08/2026

♟️ D&D congratulates all the players who participated in the Pinetown District Summer Games Chess Trials!

A special congratulations to the D&D affiliated-school players whose results we have been able to confirm:

👏 Michael Swartz – Westville Boys’ High School
👏 Shehin Shravan Kumar – Crawford International North Coast — 2nd place, finishing on an impressive 4.5 points
🏆 Vrishti Singh – Crawford International North Coast — 1st place, U13 Girls with a fantastic full score!

The journey now continues through the KZN Summer Games development pathway, with the successful players progressing to Cluster level in September, where they will compete alongside qualifiers from other districts. ♟️

This is exactly the progression we love to see — school chess creating a pathway to bigger opportunities. 💙

Well done Michael, Shehin, Vrishti and all our D&D players who took that next step!

27/08/2026

⏳ 10 days. R10. Is your school in?
30% of capacity is already gone — has your school secured its spot? ♟️

25/08/2026

🏆 ♟️Tournament this weekend!♟️ 🏆

Reminder if you have not yet registered for Cygnet's tournament this weekend, there is still time.

For registration details or any questions, please contact the organiser directly.

Which D&D schools will be joining the action? Tag your school in the comments!

&D

23/08/2026

D&D is incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of five players from D&D-affiliated schools who have qualified for the next stage of the Summer Games pathway.

Congratulations to:

🥈 Aiden Bell (Umhlali Preparatory School)

🥇 Neha Bisram (Reddam House Ballito)

👏 Isabella Peter (Umhlali Preparatory School)

👏 Tristan Govender (Umhlali Preparatory School)

👏 Tom Walters** (Umhlali Preparatory School)

These players have earned qualification to the Eastern Cluster selections on 5 September where they will compete against the top players from districts across eastern KwaZulu-Natal for a place at the KZN Provincial Championships.

It is wonderful to see learners from our D&D schools excelling at district level and progressing through one of South Africa's main school sport pathways.

We wish Aiden, Neha, Isabella, Tristan and Tom the very best as they prepare for the next round. We will be cheering you on every step of the way! 💙♟️

18/08/2026

🏆SENIOR PRIMARY - ITS YOUR TURN!! 🏆

Schools are invited to enter the Durban & Districts Senior Primary Open Tournament taking place on 12 September 2026 at Clifton School.

♟️ Open to D&D-affiliated schools
♟️ Maximum 10 players per school
♟️ CHESSA Rated Rapid Tournament

📝 Schools must submit their entries via the official online entry form. Players wishing to participate should contact their school chess co-ordinator to be included in their school's entry.

📢 Spaces are limited, so don't wait until the last minute!

⏰ Early Bird Entries close on 7 September 2026. Don't miss out!

&DChess

17/08/2026

♟️🏆 Thank You for Your Support!

The 2026 D&D Junior Primary Open was a fantastic celebration of school chess, bringing together learners, coaches, teachers, parents, arbiters and supporters from across Durban & Districts.

A special thank you to our amazing hosts Umhlali Preparatory School, our participating schools, our generous sponsors Sugar Bay Holiday Resort and North Coast Chess Club, and everyone who helped make the event such a success.

Together, we continue to grow the game and create opportunities for young chess players to thrive! ♟️💙💛

17/08/2026

🏫♟️ **One Banner. Many Schools. One Chess Community.**

The many months of planning came tother this weekend at our fantastic D&D JP Open hosted at Umhlali Preparatory School. We saw first hand just how committed the school chess community is in creating opportunities for young learners to grow and develop in critical thinking, resilience, sportsmanship and a lifelong love of chess.

Thank you once again to all our affiliated schools for your support, enthusiasm and commitment to school chess. Together, we are building a brighter future for chess in Durban & Districts.

17/08/2026

🎉 D&D JP Open Lucky Draw Winners 🎉

One of the highlights of the day was our lucky draw prize giveaway, with several players going home with some fantastic prizes donated by our generous sponsors North Coast Chess Club and Sugar Bay Holiday Resort.

Congratulations to all our lucky winners!

❤️♟️ Creating memorable experiences is part of what helps young players fall in love with the game and keep coming back to the chessboard.



Umhlali Preparatory School

16/08/2026

16/08/2026

🏆♟️ **D&D JP Open 2026 – Congratulations to Our Prize Winners!** ♟️🏆

After a fantastic day of chess at the D&D JP Open we are proud to share the final standings. Congratulations to all our players who earned prizes and badges through their outstanding performances.

**U10 Boys**
🥇 Micah Janarain (Crawford International North Coast) – **Full Score!** ⭐
🥈 Luca Ashgar (Umhlali Preparatory School)
🥉 Milan Laslab (Crawford North Coast)
4️⃣ Reyan Govender (Hillcrest Primary School)
5️⃣ Vihaan Maharaj (La Lucia Junior Primary)
6️⃣ Matilo Shivambu (Crawford La Lucia)
7️⃣ Kian Pillay (Crawford International North Coast)
8️⃣ Somilangaye Ntombana (Clarence Primary School)
9️⃣ Thaylen Chetty (Crawford International La Lucia)
🔟Elijah Naidoo (St Henry's Marist College)

**U10 Girls Top 5**
🥇 Amrienta Gabriels (Livingstone Primary School)
🥈 Viyara Singh (Umhlali Preparatory School)
🥉 Yusra Kamroodeen (Glenwood Preparatory School)
4️⃣ Peyton Kay (Hillcrest Primary School)
5️⃣ Ammarah Parekh (Penzance Primary School)

**U8 Boys Top 3**
🥇 Kairan Govender (Hillcrest Primary School)
🥈 Dhruv Valjee (La Lucia Junior Primary)
🥉 Beauden Woodhouse (Umhlali Preparatory School)

**U8 Girls Top 3**
🥇 Lilanna Govindsamy (Star College Durban)
🥈 Laranya Naiker (Mandini Academy)
🥉 Olivia Mansfield (Umhlali Preparatory School)

A special congratulations to **Micah Janarain**, who achieved a perfect score in the U10 Boys section! 🌟

Thank you to every player, coach, parent, arbiter and school who made this event such a success. ♟️