Chess in South Africa

Chess Olympiads[]

South Africa first participated in the 1958 Olympiad in Munich. The team stopped participating in international chess in 1974 due to the sports boycott as a result of the country's apartheid policies, returning to play at the 1992 Olympiad after the end of apartheid.

Open[]

Year	Event	Location	Players	Position	Ref
1958	13th Chess Olympiad	Munich, West Germany	Heidenfeld, Dreyer, , , Isaacson, Stern	27/36	[1]
1964	16th Chess Olympiad	Tel Aviv, Israel	Dreyer, , , Friedgood, , Isaacson	44/50	[1]
1966	17th Chess Olympiad	Havana, Cuba	Dreyer, , , , ,	43/52	[1]
1968	18th Chess Olympiad	Lugano, Switzerland	Friedgood, , , ,	36/53	[1]
1970	19th Chess Olympiad	Siegen, West Germany	Friedgood, , , , Dreyer,	43/60	[1]
1974	21st Chess Olympiad	Nice, France	Friedgood, , , de Villiers,	DNF/63*	[1]
1992	30th Chess Olympiad	Manila, Philippines	, de Villiers, , Kobese, ,	63/102	[2][1]
1994	31st Chess Olympiad	Moscow, Russia	, Kobese, de Villiers, ,	58/124	[3][1]
1996	32nd Chess Olympiad	Yerevan, Armenia	, , Kobese, , , Pearson	63/114	[4][1]
1998	33rd Chess Olympiad	Elista, Russia	Kobese, , K Solomon, de Villiers, Cawdery	80/110	[5]
2000	34th Chess Olympiad	Istanbul, Turkey	, K Solomon, van der Nat, ,	68/129	[6]
2002	35th Chess Olympiad	Bled, Slovenia	, K Solomon, , , ,	102/140	[7]
2004	36th Chess Olympiad	Calvià, Spain	, Kobese, K Solomon, , ,	55/129	[8]
2006	37th Chess Olympiad	Turin, Italy	Kobese, K Solomon, van der Nat, Cawdery, , van den Heever	83/150	[9]
2008	38th Chess Olympiad	Dresden, Germany	Kobese, K Solomon, Steel, Cawdery, Mabusela	58/154	[10]
2010	39th Chess Olympiad	Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia	K Solomon, Kobese, Steel, Mabusela, van den Heever	74/149	[11]
2012	40th Chess Olympiad	Istanbul, Turkey	K Solomon, Kobese, Steel, Mabusela, Cawdery	62/157	[12]
2014	41st Chess Olympiad	Tromsø, Norway	K Solomon, Steel, Kobese, van den Heever,	82/177	[13]
2016	42nd Chess Olympiad	Baku, Azerbaijan	K Solomon, Cawdery, Kobese, van den Heever, Klaasen	97/180	[14]
2018	43rd Chess Olympiad	Batumi, Georgia	Cawdery, Kobese, Klaasen, Mabusela, van den Heever	70/185	[15]

• - In 1974, FIDE expelled the team with three rounds to go due to the country's apartheid policies.

Women[]

Year	Event	Location	Players	Position	Ref
1998	33rd Chess Olympiad	Elista, Russia	, , , Laubscher	62/72	[16]
2000	34th Chess Olympiad	Istanbul, Turkey	, Meyer, Frick, van der Merwe	71/86	[17]
2002	35th Chess Olympiad	Bled, Slovenia	van der Merwe, , ,	68/93	[18]
2004	36th Chess Olympiad	Calvià, Spain	van der Merwe, , Frick,	68/87	[19]
2006	37th Chess Olympiad	Turin, Italy	Frick, , , Laubscher	66/108	[20]
2008	38th Chess Olympiad	Dresden, Germany	Solomons, Greeff, , ,	57/114	[21]
2010	39th Chess Olympiad	Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia	Greeff, Solomons, , ,	69/115	[22]
2012	40th Chess Olympiad	Istanbul, Turkey	Greeff, van der Merwe, Solomons, Frick,	65/127	[23]
2014	41st Chess Olympiad	Tromsø, Norway	Frick, Solomons, , , Fisher	72/136	[24]
2016	42nd Chess Olympiad	Baku, Azerbaijan	Frick, Laubscher, February, Fisher,	72/140	[25]
2018	43rd Chess Olympiad	Batumi, Georgia	February, Bouah, Fisher, Selkirk,	62/151	[26]

Major tournaments[]

Major tournaments hosted in South Africa include the South African Chess Championship and the South African Open.

References[]