Dante Beukes: Chess player
Namibia's top chess player, International Master (IM) Dante Beukes, has achieved the prestigious second-highest rank in the world of international chess. The IM title is an internationally recognised accolade bestowed upon exceptionally skilled chess players by the international chess governing body, FIDE.Beukes was once a journalist for the Chess World Cup. "I regularly contributed to a chess media outlet called Africa Chess Media. We thought it would be a good idea to report on the African players at the event."
This, he said, was in 2021, shortly before he was awarded a chess scholarship. He did not physically attend the event, which was held in Sochi, Russia. He followed the championship event online and wrote reports and his analysis of the chess games.
"At my level, if you want to be a serious player, you are forced to look beyond Africa to go further.
"I thank God for this opportunity because it allows me to compete against players who are much stronger than me,” he said.