The World Champions in Grammar School Chess from Salaskóli Invited to Namibia

ICEIDA and the city of Kópavogur have decided to invite the world champions in grammar school chess from Salaskóli, along with two supervisors, to Namibia. The trip started  Wednesday, September 12.

The chess team from Salaskóli in Kópavogur won this summer the world championship for children 14 years old or younger at an international tournament for grammar schools which was held in the Czech Republic. In the winning team were Jóhanna Björg Jóhannsdóttir, Patrekur Maron Magnússon, Páll Andrason, Guðmundur Kristinn Lee og Birkir Karl Sigurðsson, all between the ages of 11-14. This group goes to Namibia during the week along with the team coaches and supervisors, Hrannar Baldursson and Tómas Rasmus.

ICEIDA has, in collaboration with the Icelandic Chess Association and Hrókurinn Chess Club, funded a chess project for children in grammar schools in Namibia over the past three years along with supporting the Namibian Chess Association and training the Namibian national chess team. The chess project will end soon and therefore, it was considered appropriate to invite the new world champions in grammar school chess from Salaskóli to Namibia.

During the trip, the Icelandic team will be able to play chess with other pupils in grammar schools and participate in two youth championships in Namibia. One is a competition for school teams and the other an individual competition but both competitions will be held in the grammar school Eros in the capital Windhoek.

The Icelandic team will travel considerably in Namibia during the trip and among other things visit a school for indigenious people, the San-people, close to the town of Grootfontein. There is also a ranch in the area where the children will be in the company of wild animals on a safari trip.

The trip ends on September 21.