Newtons was one of the sponsors to the 13 Mangaung Metro Chess teams who participated in the 2017 Southern African Junior Chess Championships (SAJCC) in Johannesburg from the 3rd to the 8th of January 2018. The SAJCC is one of the premier chess events in South Africa and hosts in excess of 2,500 junior chess players and officials. The team tournament features regional teams of between 6 and 10 players who compete in age categories ranging from u/8 to u/20.
One of the greatest highlights of the tournament was Chess Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura’s presence at the tournament. He officially opened the SAJCC, played in the public finals of the Speed Chess Championship against GM Magnus Carlsen, then later on gave a chess lecture. He rounded off his visit by holding an impressive 101-game-simul, one of the biggest ever of its kind on African soil and then decided to assist and sponsor two lucky chess players who impressed him with their talent.