On 13 December, local chessfundi, Terry Quirk, was presented with a Sports Legend Award by the Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais.

He, was presented with this prestigious award along with 25 other ‘legends’, at a ceremony held in Kronenburg Estate, Paarl.

Terry was the only person in the sporting discipline of Chess to receive this honour. The intention of the Sport Legends awards is to honour those sport legends, heroes and icons who made a significant contribution to the development, transformation and growth of sport in South Africa.

Terry, who started playing chess in 1989 at the age of 42, is now Captain of play in the George Chess Club. In 2012 he started organising the Eden (then South Western Districts) Chess League which has grown steadily from 7 teams to 22 teams in 2018.

In 2013 he received from the World Chess Federation a diploma as a National Instructor. He initiated and continues to run the Schools Chess Trials in the Greater Knysna area.

Terry has high hopes for the growth of chess as a sport in the local area. “I think the creation of the Eden Chess League has led to the formation of a number of Chess Clubs in the Eden District, and the standard of chess plus the quality of chess tournaments has improved considerably.” he said.

Published in The Edge 19 Dec 2018, Issue 554 pg8.