chessnews64 Daily Chess News and Information: Nelson Mandela

12/6/2013 – Last night, Africa’s greatest son passed away, and while it might seem strange for us to do a tribute to Nelson Mandela, considering the very specific focus of our news site, but chess surrounded him and he played it. If ever there was a leader whose strategic planning rivaled even the deepest plans of the chess world champions, it was him. We pay homage to Nelson Mandela and his legacy.

Last night, Africa’s greatest son passed away, and as stated by US President Barack Obama, “He no longer belongs to us, he belongs to the ages.” It might seem strange for us to do a tribute to Nelson Mandela, considering the very specific focus of our news site, chess surrounded him, and if ever there was a leader whose strategic planning rivaled even the deepest plans of the chess world champions, it was him.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

- Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela and chess

Neville Alexander, a fellow detainee and political activist, arrived on Robben Island in 1964, the same year as Mandela. He was imprisoned there for ten years. In an interview he revealed Mandela's "war of attrition" approach to chess.

Chess. Mandela played chess. Tell me about how Mandela played chess.

Well, chess and draughts were the two games which were the oldest on the island in a way. Draughts partly because we could play them without a board. Chess, eventually, when we did get a board. It became a favorite game, and he was one of those who knew the game quite well. My personal recollection is that in both draughts and chess Nelson's attitude was that of really attrition. That was his stance. He would take his time with every move, he would consider it very carefully. He would sort of mislead the other person by pointing things, this way, that way, the other and then making the move that wasn't expected and so on. But more than that, when he did make a really good move, then he would really crow and make the other person feel really small. I recall this particularly because of our late comrade, Don Davis, who eventually also joined the ANC incidentally. Don Davis used to think he was a really good draughts player, and Nelson and Andrew Mlangeni were his only two rivals ... He normally beat Nelson, but he tended not to beat Mlangeni. Mlangeni was very good. But the point is that Nelson would ... torture Don, that Don would sometimes just throw the board in the air, with pieces flying all over the place, getting really irritated. But [Mandela] had that way of, as I say, it was a war of attrition, and he tended therefore to be victorious in most cases.

He was excruciatingly slow in getting around to making his moves ...

Ja, it was deliberate you see. This is a point that with Nelson, again, you can't always be 100% sure, but it was largely deliberate because he knew that psychologically he was getting at the other person. By the way, I never played chess or draughts with them, because I just don't know the game well enough.
Click for full interview
Just last July, our globetrotting correspondent Alina l’Ami, passed through South Africa in honor of a tournament, and was flabbergasted to find herself greeted by the present President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma. President Zuma, who had also suffered the many hardships of imprisonment on Robben Island, explained the relationship with chess and those there.

South African President Jacob Zuma playing a friendly 20-minute game against
the youngest participant, the five-year-old boy Keagan Rowe. The fighting
game ended in a stalemate.

"On Robben Island, chess provided a solace to us that we needed in those conditions of isolation and deprivation. It propelled our minds beyond the confines of the prison walls and allowed us to reflect and to position our thoughts strategically to fight the regime. [...] Many comrades made chess sets out of soap and driftwood that allowed us to continue to play this noble and great game. We improvised with makeshift chess boards and we enjoyed the fullness of the game."
- South African president Zuma in his speech during the closing ceremony.

At the end of her report, posted on Nelson Mandela's 95th birthday, the country was celebrating it as 'Nelson Mandela Day'. The declared motto is "Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day!" Words to live by.

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

- Nelson Mandela

Over the years, we have seen chess blossom in South Africa, and as firm believers in its educational value, we look forward to seeing it continue to do so.

Nelson Mandela's life story: a short excellent documentary hosted by the United Nations

Nelson Mandela speech delivered at the Nelson Mandela: An International tribute to Free
South Africa concert on 16/4/1990, at Wembley stadium, two months after his release from
prison on 11/2/1990. (speech starts at 5:36)