A no-fee mobile chess college run by Gugulethu-based founder Babalwa “Bash” Rubusana is giving schoolchildren in underdeveloped areas the opportunity to learn chess.

The Gugulethu Chess College provides lessons at various local schools during the week, while facilitating mass-participation chess meetings and tournaments over weekends.

“I’ve learnt chess since I was in primary school … and it helped me a lot growing up because I was a very naughty kid. Growing up in the dusty streets of the township, chess assisted me in thinking, concentration, focusing and knowing when to take risks,” said Rubusana.

“I’ve realised I’ve got a passion for the sport … and I’ve got a passion for children’s development.”

Bukhobakhe Ntloko (8) plays chess at Luzuko Primary School in Cape Town on 23 November 2023. (Photo: Ziyanda Duba)

Rubusana’s first student was her younger brother. When he started attending primary school, she provided lessons for the other pupils at the school.

In 2018, she left her nine-to-five job at the South African Revenue Service to found the Gugulethu Chess College. Its mission is to equip children with fundamental skills that will improve their literacy, foresight and analytical abilities.

“At Gugulethu Chess College, we don’t only focus on chess. We also have academic assistance, whereby we focus on maths and languages. We also teach them IT [skills] because we always do online [chess] tournaments,” said Rubusana.

Ayole Nyengule (10) plays chess at Luzuko Primary School on the 23 November 2023. (Photo: Ziyanda Duba)

Rubusana teaches chess at six schools in Gugulethu and upwards of 200 children attend her weekend chess meetings. In the weekend sessions she takes on the responsibility of providing meals for her pupils.

“Most of the kids’ parents are unemployed … I’ve got excellent chess players who eat from the community soup kitchen,” she said.

“I’m not just a chess coach … I’m a mother to them. I’m a psychologist. I’m a social worker…

“These kids struggle with a lot of things. They don’t really have support at home. Sometimes you would find that the only time the child would do homework is when they come to the chess class.”

Rubusana refuses to charge fees for the training sessions, because she doesn’t want to see children unable to attend because of a lack of funds. Rather, she relies on donors and sponsors to keep the programme running.

From left: Lukhanyo Damane (11) with the Bashment Cup, Principal Ms Petshwa and Kungawo Manetsa (10) holding a sport award won by the Under-9 mixed team from Luzuko Primary School in the Best Development School Team of the Year 2022 category at the Chess Western Province Awards. (Photo: Ziyanda Duba)

Enriching youngsters

As part of her effort to grow the chess culture in Gugulethu, Rubusana founded the Bashment Chess Cup, and each year children represent their schools at the competition.

One of the schools at which Rubusana teaches chess is Luzuko Primary. When she walks down the school’s hallways, learners run up to her and throw their arms around her waist, full of excitement.

Read more in Daily Maverick: The sport of chess is teaching valuable life lessons to children in Khayelitsha

Felicia Petshwa, principal of the school, told Daily Maverick that “once the children see Babalwa, they see chess”.

Petshwa’s grandson is one of the many learners at the school who attends Rubusana’s chess lessons. “I’ve seen a lot of benefits for him, especially when it comes to mathematics. I think chess has revived the memory, the creativity, the [ability to work] with numbers,” she said. “He’s also one of the learners who got the [Bashment] Cup … It’s very exciting.” DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R29.