South Africa’s Kaylee Budhram from Phoenix earned silver at the African Youth Chess Championship despite the heartsore news she received; making her victory a triumph despite tragedy and a shining testament to her skills in the same breath:
Gauteng, South Africa (27 June 2024) — Along with numerous budding chess superstars from across the continent, Kaylee Budhram from Phoenix found herself facing a fierce challenge as she competed in the African Youth Chess Championship.
Taking place in South Africa’s own Gauteng province, the championship gathered not only some of Africa’s most skilled young chess players but also the most competitive. There, from 15 to 23 June, players representing their countries went up against each other, proving their place in the tournament and, in many cases, outdoing even their own expectations.
Chess, as many of us know, is a game of calculation. It requires extreme mental discipline. So when that inner world is shaken, it’s only natural to conclude that the game would, too, especially for young players. It was here, in this space of pushing through despite her outer and inner worlds shaking, that Kaylee rose above and beyond and managed to remain undefeated, drawing for three games.
Kaylee had received the news that a close family member had passed away, as Shannon Budgram tells Good Things Guy.
“This was the hardest tournament of her life as mentally and physically she was pushed to her limits when she received the sad news of the passing away of her close cousin brother Tyler Theo David.”
Still, Kaylee played and played extraordinarily well. She went on to win silver for our country and honoured Tyler Theo’s memory, dedicating her victory to him.
“Kaylee is currently South Africa’s National Chess Champion and this win now places her [at] number 2 in the continent of Africa which is a huge achievement for someone her age,” Shannon adds.
Joining her on the podium was South Africa’s Aaradhya Suresh who earned bronze, while gold went to Mohamed Ahmed from Egypt.
Sources: Website Submission
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