Two Fish Hoek boys have set their sights on the South African Junior Closed Chess Championship next year.

Liam and Luca Blom, aged 10 and 9 respectively, attend Fish Hoek Primary School (FHPS) and have had a chess year to remember.

Liam won the Chess Grandmaster Trophy at the recent FHPS Sport Awards. Both boys competed in the recent Mzansi Interprovincial Youth Chess Championship (MIYCC) tournament in Polokwane.

Liam and Luca Blom represented Western Province at a recent tournament in Polokwane.

Liam won gold and came 1st in the under-12 age group and Luca finished 8th in the under-10 section.

The crowning moment came when both boys were invited to the SA Chess Championship next year, with a date and venue still to be confirmed.

Their proud father, Carl Blom, said Luca and Liam were only 5 and 6 respectively when they started playing Chess with him at home and on family camping trips.

“They were hooked immediately and of course there was lots of competition between them. They often challenge their oupas and anyone else who dares to give it a go,” he said.

Liam Blom racing to gold at his recent tournament held in Polokwane.

Since making their first moves, Mr Blom said he noticed improvements in the boys’ “concentration, pattern recognition and creative problem-solving skills”.

“Chess teaches you how to win and lose! Everyone likes to win – but it’s important to learn how to accept losing. Sometimes you give a lesson – and sometimes you receive it,” Mr Blom said.

Both Liam and Luca shared the same view: “We like the challenge of competing against other strong players at chess tournaments.

“Every game brings new challenges and there can only be one winner.”

Luca said: “I enjoy learning new strategies from the tournaments – new moves and tactics for the chess pieces I can use next time.”

Liam added: “I get excited when I do careful planning during the game and set special traps for my opponent – I can hear my heartbeat sometimes when I see the plan working.”

This year the boys were selected to compete for the Western Cape at the Mzansi Interprovincial Youth Chess Championship, which took place in Polokwane Ranch Resort in Limpopo earlier this month.

They helped the Western Cape finish the tournament as the best performing province.

Both boys received their WP colours in 2023 and 2024 and played in many tournaments across the province, winning lots of medals and trophies now filling the cabinet.

In 2023, both boys played for Fish Hoek Primary School’s under-9 team, which won gold at the Western Cape Top Schools tournament.

The boys have received full colours for chess at school for the last three years running.

Mr Blom said the boys were now preparing for their next major challenge.

“The biggest tournament ahead is the South African Junior Closed Chess Championship in 2025, where the boys will qualify to play in their age categories. Here they will compete against only the best chess players in the country,” Mr Blom said.