Minister Meyer Joins Chess Champion at Chess Exhibition

On 22 March, Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Dr Ivan Meyer, will join legendary chess champion, Grandmaster Gary Kasparov, in Khayelitsha where Kasparov will be conducting a simultaneous chess display. Kasparov, who is considered to be one of the top 100 most influential people in the world, arrived in Cape Town yesterday.

Commenting on his style of play, Kasparov (world champion 1985-2000) sees his own style in the following way: "I see my own style as being a kind of symbiosis of the styles of Alekhine, Tal and Fischer. I became champion in the historic year 1985, the first year of Gorbachev's perestroika, which led to the break up of the USSR and a fundamental change in the map of the world. A storm of change swept the planet, overturning the lives of millions of people. In chess too the old order could not survive. After a number of attempts to reanimate the past it nevertheless broke away on a new path and is aiming to become one of the main types of professional sport. However, many changes still lie ahead - both in chess and in the world as a whole."

Minister Meyer, who last night enjoyed a private dinner with Kasparov and local business people at Tokara Wine Estate in Stellenbosch where Kasparov shared his global vision for chess and youth development, believes that not only chess and youth stand to benefit from the visit but also sport tourism.

According to Dr Meyer, Kasparov's visit once again places the world's focus on Cape Town and it reinforces the status of the city and our region as a sport mecca and a world-class tourist destination.

"We have to continue to steadfastly build on successes such as our successful hosting of the rugby, cricket and FIFA world cup tournaments. Gary Kasparov's visit and the IRB Under 20 World Cup which will be hosted later this year in the Western Cape allow us to reinforce Cape Town and the Western Cape as capable of hosting world-class sport events," said Dr Meyer.