Alexander van der Merwe, from Paul Roos Gymnasium, is the U/18 South African Over the Board Chess Champion after winning the U/18 section of the South African Junior Closed Chess Championship held in Centurion, Gauteng during the holidays.

The tournament was contested over 11 rounds – two rounds played per day over a six-day period. It was gruelling with some games lasting up to 4 hours and longer.

Alexander was the highest-rated player in the tournament and won the U/18 section with a score of 10,5 out of 11 – two and a half points clear of his nearest opponent.

He dominated the competition and already won the tournament with a round to spare. This is unprecedented for such a prestigious tournament that is always fiercely contested. The tournament was the first Over the Board National Tournament since 2019.