Jamie-Nicole Beukes: The queen of Namibian chess
Highest rated female chess player
In September, Beukes will be representing Namibia at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Hungary.
Jamie-Nicole Beukes started playing chess when she turned seven years old. It began by her joining The Weekend Chess Academy (TWCA) under the tutelage of coach Maz Nitzborn.She won her first title in December 2016 when she came second in the under-nine girls category at the African Schools Individual Chess Championships in Zambia and received the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title.
Her current rating is 1 736 - this makes her the highest rated female chess player in Namibia at the age of 17. She achieved this rating at the Namibian Open Chess Championships in Windhoek in May after gaining 56 rating points in a single tournament.
“It was very encouraging for me to be ranked top of the Namibian women, especially when compared to my performance in the nationals, which was rather frustrating. I messed up quite a few games and missed out on the national champion title.”
Even with a formidable performance, Beukes holds herself to a very high standard to make sure that she continues improving so she can keep working towards a Woman Fide Master (WFM) title. This title is one higher than the WCM title and will make her the second WFM in Namibia, after 34-year-old Rauha Shipindo.
To achieve this title, Beukes explains that she will need to earn a rating of 2 100. The first step in this process is to compete in international tournaments. On 15 June, she traveled to Benoni in South Africa to compete in the African Youth Chess Championship. After the tournament, she is expected to gain a further 21 rating points - although it has not officially been updated.
Since a young age, Beukes has represented Namibia in various countries. These include South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Greece and Spain. Later this year, in September, she will be representing Namibia at the 46th Chess Olympiad set to take place in Budapest in Hungary. There she will compete to further improve her rating once more.
Preparing for tournaments
When asked how she prepares for events, she explained that her brother, Dante Beukes, helps her with preparation. Dante, who is the highest-rated chess player in Namibia, helps her prepare for her next game by looking at possible openings her opponent might employ and making sure she knows how to play against it.
Beukes added that her brother is an inspiration for her. “I started playing chess mainly to follow in my brother’s footsteps.” They work as a team to help her achieve her goals of becoming a WFM.
“I think it’s pretty cool that my brother and I are the highest-rated male and female chess players in the country, and I hope to maintain this achievement,” Beukes said.
She is ranked 30th overall in Namibia, and her achievements can inspire young women to also compete in chess and bridge the gender gap in the world of chess.