A young chess player from Poortview, Konrad Caroto has been showing some great improvements in the strategic game as he keeps taking down his opponents with ease.
The Crawford Maragon Ruimsig learner did not make the school chess team when he tried out at the age of nine, but later surprised everyone with his second attempt and was selected for the school team.
Konrad’s grandfather taught him to play chess when he was seven years old, although the game did not really interest him at the time.
He has participated in the Gauteng Schools Trials and made it through to the final round, giving him the opportunity to compete at the 2019 Gauteng Primary Schools Individual Chess Championships.
It was only in 2019 when Konrad started training with a private coach and he played in his first rated tournament in April last year.
Konrad’s family and school were surprised when they received notification that he had been selected to represent Johannesburg Metro Chess U/12B team at the annual South African Junior Chess Championships (SAJCC).
The young strategist said, “I enjoy playing chess because one gets to take one’s time and strategically tries to outsmart one’s opponent. It is perfect for me as I am not a team-sport person. I have been playing league chess since April 2019.”
The SAJCC is one of the premier junior sporting events of any sporting code in South Africa and it has a history of more than 30 years.
Konrad’s mother, Alicia Caroto said, “We all thought he would not make it into the Johannesburg Metro Chess U/12B team, considering he has not been playing for long. He takes chess very seriously and loves the game. The benefits of sport in our children’s lives are that they make new friends and stay out of trouble.”
