At 14 years old, chess player Caleb Levitan has made history for our country and become the youngest champ to represent South Africa at the World Cup of Chess—the Chess Olympiad:
Global (30 September 2024) — Caleb Levitan has carved his spot in South Africa’s history books after he became the youngest chess player ever to have represented South Africa at the World Cup of Chess—the Chess Olympiad!
For the 14-year-old King David Linksfield learner and FIDE Master, the opportunity was nothing short of an honour and a dream realised.
“It’s every chess player’s dream to compete at the Chess Olympiad,” he remarked when the news was shared of his upcoming chance to compete.
While what he shared might be true, unlike Caleb, most chess players don’t get the chance to head off and compete with their country’s national team of chess giants while they’re only in Grade 8.
Along with a decorated squad of local chess stars (International Master (IM) Daniel Cawdery, FIDE Master (FM) Daniel Barrish, IM Jan Karsten and FM Banele Mhango), Caleb journeyed off to Budapest where the competition of competitions would unfold.
Caleb made a fantastic debut, earning respect from fellow international players and several victories.
As his school shares, he won five of his games and drew one against a Phillippines master before competing in the finals against Nicaragua. Five hours later, Caleb secured his win and helped earn South Africa a top 3 spot for the continent, as well as qualification for the 2025 competition!
Needless to say, the chess world will be keeping tabs on Caleb while South Africa celebrates yet another moment to be proud of.
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