Endgame for Chess South Africa after ‘checkmate’ suspension by Sascoc

It’s game over for Chess South Africa, the sport’s national governing body, now suspended from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).

This comes amid a lengthy, toxic feud featuring litigation, protests and questions in parliament, and involves a power struggle between provincial chess structures and Chess South Africa’s top office bearers, Hendrik du Toit (president) and Judy-Marie Steenkamp (vice-president), who own the rights to host the country’s most lucrative chess tournament.

The provinces allege Chess SA is in breach of its constitution by not holding elections. Chess SA says provinces lack good standing to participate in elections.

Chess SA suspended all provinces from the organisation in December.

This week provinces welcomed Sascoc’s decision and called for further investigations.

“Mr Du Toit’s purported efforts to continue to govern Chess South Africa is unlawful and illegal,”  read a statement issued by eight of the nine provinces this week.

“Ever since [their] election to the executive board of Chess South Africa on December 8 2018, they have been running the affairs in flagrant breach of the constitution of Chess South Africa and to the exclusion of the national council.

“Chess South Africa has not produced any audited financial statements since 2017, has only held two AGMs since December 2018, has not produced any budgets or treasury reports since 2018, has not produced any minutes of executive board meetings since 2018, and the list goes on …

"They embroiled Chess South Africa in extensive litigation over the years 2018 to 2022 with the purpose of retaining control … This litigation was never in the best interests of Chess South Africa,” it added.

Du Toit declined to comment. Steenkamp said Chess South Africa’s executive board would take legal action regarding the suspension.

Sascoc failed to respond to Sunday Times queries.

The suspension may have dire consequences — preventing players from competing abroad and receiving national colours

The suspension may have dire consequences — preventing players from competing abroad and receiving national colours. There is uncertainty about this weekend’s KwaZulu-Natal Open and an upcoming international tournament in Georgia.

“The [Open] is one of our biggest events,” said KwaZulu-Natal Chess Association president Lindokuhle Ngubane, who insisted it would go ahead.

Chess SA’s suspension was finalised at a Sascoc meeting last week.

In a memo sent to chess stakeholders last month Sascoc outlined its concerns about chess administration and the long history of legal squabbles.

“It is, therefore, evident that the current impasse within Chess South Africa has put the federation into disrepute,” the memo read.

“It is almost six years dealing with this case, and no progress has been made after serious interventions from Sascoc, government, FIDE [the International Chess Federation], and concerned members from the provincial chess structures.

"The delays due to litigations did not do justice to the beneficiaries of the national federations being athletes, but instead, the sport has been seriously damaged due to boardroom fights and personal agendas.”

The latest ructions have drawn comment on social media.

“A lot of people just want their kids to participate ... and try to get South African colours. But if Chess South Africa is suspended from Sascoc then they can’t award national colours,” said a top junior player’s father on social media.