Within a year and a half of learning how to play chess, Gauteng siblings Kasmira and Shayur Vather are jetting off to India to represent South Africa in the Commonwealth Chess Championship.
Kasmira, 10, who is in Grade 5 at Crawford College in Pretoria, started learning how to play in January last year.
A few months later she beat a provincial player and spotting her talent, her teacher, Eeben Collin, took her under his wing and started coaching her. The siblings are now being coached by Johannes Mabu-sela.
Watching his older sister, Shayur, 8, a Grade 2 pupil at the same school, also developed an interest in chess.
The pair first excelled in the Ettiene Lewis Trial competition in September, and this enabled them to represent Gauteng in the South African Junior Chess Championship.
The siblings were placed in the top 10 and went on to participate in the South African Junior Chess Close Championship.
Their performance there afforded them the opportunity to represent South Africa in New Delhi.
Their parents, Dr Lavendren Vather, a dentist, and Dr Nevendrie Vather, a general practitioner, said they were very proud of their children’s achievements.
“We never played chess at home until the children started. We are still finding it hard to believe that they only started playing less than two years ago and now they are representing South Africa,” said Lavendren.
To prepare for the championship, the siblings are practising for two hours every day and have maintained a healthy diet to help them concentrate and stay focused.
Kasmira and Shayur said they were looking forward to visiting India and interacting with fellow players.
The pair, who will be leaving on Sunday with their parents, said they hoped to do South Africa proud.