African chess champion aims for world title

African chess champion and Boksburg North resident Michael Simpson is not resting on his laurels after being crowned king of the continent in what many know as the gentleman’s game: chess. Simpson, who made his mark at the African Youth Chess Championships in Namibia in 2019 en route to being crowned champion.

Over and above his goals, Simpson spoke about grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and his toughest opponent.

When did you start playing chess?
I have been playing since Grade One in Martin Primary School and joined Ekurhuleni Chess when I was in Grade Four.
How did you learn to play the game?
Mrs Wallace at Martin Primary taught me and thereafter I had various coaches. At the moment I am taking online coaching lessons.
Why do you enjoy it?
I am quite competitive and with chess you can battle against other people – and hopefully win.
How far do you want to take your chess talent?
My immediate goal is to achieve a FIDE rating of 2 100 so I can start using the Fide Master title that I conditionally earned in 2019.
Who/what inspires you?
Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.
Who would you say was your toughest opponent, and why?
I would say grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh against whom I played (and lost) in the World Online Chess Cadets last year. He is the second-youngest player to ever achieve the chess grandmaster title.
What would you say are your biggest achievements as a chess player thus far?
• Winning the South African Closed Chess Championship – u-12 open section in 2019 and becoming the South African champion in this age group.
• Winning the African Youth Chess Championships in Namibia in 2019 with a full score, becoming the u-12 Open African Chess champion and earning a conditional FIDE master title.
• Playing in the final 16 of the World Online Chess Cadets in the u-14 open section in 2020 and playing against the current world number one in this age group, grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh.
If you had to convince someone interested in chess on why to play chess, what reasons would you give?
I just enjoy playing the game and I think everyone should try it. It can help you with academics, with working out strategies and with concentration.
How many countries has chess helped you to visit?
During 2019 I was part of the South Africa team that participated in India, China and Namibia. By winning the African Youth u-12 open title in Namibia, I was invited to play in the next World Youth Chess Championship which will take place in Georgia once the pandemic is over. I also won the African Schools u-14 Open online tournament in December, which means I am invited to play the World Schools event in Greece later this year.
What’s the one thing you want to achieve as a chess player that would leave you feeling like you’ve achieved it all?
Becoming a chess world champion would be the ultimate achievement.

Also Read: Young chess star crowned African champion