On January 24, 2026, the local Cape Town chess community gathered at the Cape Town Chess Federation Club House (formerly Claremont Chess Club) to honour the legacy of a man whose name is synonymous with the fight for non-racial chess in South Africa. The memorial tournament served as a poignant tribute to John Hess, a former President of both the Western Province Chess Association and the first unified provincial body, Chess Western Province.
Figure 1: Mr. John Hess
Figure 2: (From Left) Llewelyn Louw (President); Eugene Steenkamp (Development Officer); Prof. Carolissen, Dr. Lyndon Bouah (DCAS), Melissa Carolissen; Dr. Shabier Bhawoodien (Winner)
The following account details the day’s proceedings:
Opening and Official Welcome
The event was opened by Ashley Schüller, serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the morning.
Figure 3: (Front) Ashley Schüller
Following the opening, Dr. Lyndon Bouah, Chief Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), addressed the attendees to highlight the significance of the event in the broader sporting landscape of the Western Cape.
Dr.Lyndon Bouah
Dr. Bouah shared his journey of getting to know John Hess, starting as a young UWC student attending meetings with the late Edwin Wyngaardt. He painted a vivid picture of watching John chair meetings from his regular spot directly beneath the ceiling fan.
As an astute student of the game’s history, Dr. Bouah produced the original Western Province Chess Association Minute Book (1982–1988), meticulously kept by Reggie Sinden. To illustrate John’s unwavering commitment, Dr. Bouah read the attendance from the first page in 1982 and the final pages in 1988; in both instances, John Hess was present, spanning years of consistent service.
Dr. Bouah applied political theory to John’s leadership, describing the difficult period of transition between organisations as an interregnum. He credited John as the leader who stepped into that vacuum, successfully building trust and unity among opposing parties when it was most difficult. Finally, he shared a personal memory of John meeting him at Exclusive Books in Cavendish Square, where John – always the mentor – told Lyndon he might have moved into administration too early before reaching his full potential as a player.
Figure 4: (From Left) Prof. Carolissen; Dr. Lyndon Bouah
Development and Legacy
The floor was then given to Eugene Steenkamp, the Cape Town Chess Federation (CTCF) Development Officer and former President. Steenkamp informed the audience that the initiative for this event began when Professor Carolissen , John Hess’ wife, contacted the Federation (formerly Chess Western Province) with the generous offer to donate John’s extensive chess book collection. She expressed her wish that these resources be used by current players to further their own development. This outreach set the wheels in motion, leading to the decision to host the John Hess Memorial and the formal unveiling of the book collection on Saturday, 24 January 2026.
Figure 5: (Middle) Eugene Steenkamp
A Touching Tribute: The “Hess Book Corner”
One of the most emotional segments of the day was the speech by Professor Ronelle Carolissen, John Hess’s wife. She spoke of John’s “booming laugh,” his love for the “underdog,” and his lifelong commitment to chess as a tool for equity and education.
Professor Carolissen officially unveiled the John Hess Book Corner, donating his personal collection of approximately 100 chess books to the fraternity. She shared a moving story about John’s aversion to tattoos; ironically, following his passing, all four of his daughters and a son-in-law chose to get a tattoo of his favourite piece – the knight – as a permanent tribute. This theme was visible at the event, where his daughter Melissa even wore chess-themed nail art in his honour.
Figure 6: Melissa Hess Chess Nail Art
Figure 7: Melissa Hess Knight Tattoo and Nail Art
Here is the full speech by Professor Carolissen:
Speech at John’s Chess memorial tournament
Thank you for this incredible honour to speak at this special chess memorial tournament in honour of my late husband, John Hess. It is actually such a feeling of dejavu coming to the Claremont chess club today. I haven’t been here for decades, but first came here many years ago during the very late 1980s and early 1990s with John. It is also really special to see some of you who have been dedicated chess players and administrators over the years and whose names are synonymous with chess.
There is so much to say about John. He was a larger-than-life figure, he had a booming laugh and many opinions and advice about everything, many of them very well researched. He loved and lived life to the full and had a very soft spot for the underdog and downtrodden, perhaps that is why he was so committed to equity for all in chess. He was intellectually and musically gifted and loved games, puzzles and sport. Today I want to say something about his greatest love, chess.
John was humble to the extreme and would be quite astonished and even a little embarrassed by the “fuss” of this memorial tournament. “Goodness, honey, they didn’t have to do this!”
John’s chess journey
Chess formed a significant part of John’s life, both as a player and administrator. He was a member of the Grassy Park chess club and in recent years played online international correspondence chess even on the Sunday morning, when he left our home for the last time. That Sunday afternoon of 7 July 2024, John had a severe stroke which led to his death on 12 July.
As you know, John was the president of Western Province Chess Association (1982-1985, 1987). He was the first president of the racially unified body namely Chess Western Province (1993-1995). I chatted to Reggie Sinden from Mitchells Plain Chess at the time of his death. He said that John’s legacy of creating policies for equity in chess, are reflected in the fact that SA has one grandmaster, Kenny Solomons, now living in Italy. Kenny hails from Mitchell’s Plain Chess Club.
During the Apartheid years, chess was not only about chess. Banned political meetings were held, with John’s knowledge, where all pretended that it was a chess meeting taking place. Chess was also a vehicle to education for young children from disadvantaged areas. Under the tutelage of Unity movement schools like Livingstone and Harold Cressy, people like John and many others ensured that bright kids from poor communities would have a diversity of career options by taking higher grade Mathematics instead of Standard Grade mathematics that their township schools taught. I know of at least one chess player, an astrophysicist and academic today, who benefited from this help to navigate the limitations of education available to black children at the time.
John received a Lifetime Achievement award for contributions to chess from Chess Western Province in 2017. I remember him coming home, surprised, about the honour because Deon Solomons had asked him to attend the prizegiving ceremony to assist in handing out prizes to the new generation of chess players, and towards the end, realized that Deon was speaking about John’s own contributions to Chess as he handed out the achievement award.
Our life with John and chess
John’s names and initials were perhaps a precursor that he was destined for a love of chess. John Stephen Cornelius Hess, JSC Hess could also read as JS Chess.
John was deeply committed to the game of chess and chess administration. When I was pregnant with my eldest daughter Lauren in 1993, I attended an Al Jarreau concert with my brother and his pregnant wife. John stayed at home because he was hosting a chess meeting at home strategising about agreements to ensure equitable arrangements in the transition to a new dispensation for a unified chess body as opposed to numerous racially divided chess bodies. I remember coming home at about 1 or 2 in the morning and to my astonishment saw that my lounge was filled with chess enthusiasts, including Mr Omuko from Nigera, still going strong at that time of the morning!!
Another incident that I recall while pregnant with my first daughter was a completely unplanned trip to Durban via Bloemfontein one evening. A group of chess players were involved in a car accident en route to Durban where a tournament was taking place and the vehicle left the road just before Bloemfontein with some players being admitted to hospital there for observation. When John heard of this incident he insisted he go so that he could be there to check on the players and the support team. It was the shortest visit to Durban since we slept over and left the next day. All the players made it to Durban and home after the tournament!
I could tell many more stories about chess, how John loved the chess cake I had made for his 60th birthday, the conversations he shared with me about the chats he had with people with whom he played correspondence chess, the challenges of transitions and contestations within and outside of SACOS chess and many more. The one story that I want to share comes back to our 4 daughters whom he loved dearly, Louise, Fiona, Lauren and Melissa.
John did not like tattoos and knew that his daughters had some but did not quite endorse it. He worried that they would not get jobs if they had tattoos. When he passed away 18 months ago, all his daughters and one son-in-law, James, got tattoos of John’s favourite chess piece, the knight, in his memory. While he didn’t have a tattoo, his memorial stone carries a small engraved knight. I have to add that Melissa even had her nails painted with a chess theme for today’s memorial.
When I met John I was a chess Philistine but my knowledge about chess, not my skill, improved quite a bit through my relationship with him. It made me realise that John’s chess book collection is for serious chess players, a recognition that led to my decision to donate it to Chess Western Province in his memory. John was an avid reader and lifelong student of the game. It is therefore not surprising that I was able to donate just about 100 books. There are many treasures in the collection, books talking about end games, middle games, chess openings, the Sicilian defense, the Kings Indian defense and many more. There is also a bound collection of chess journals “ Chess Life” which he got through his relationship with Jerry Bibauld. I want to point out two specific volumes…training manuals with chess puzzles by Laszlo Polgar. He was the father of the Hungarian chess grandmaster, Judit Polgar. These books are a compilation of puzzles that Laszlo had used to train Judit. John always lamented the fact that so few girls and women played chess and was most impressed with the Polgars. I must add that he used those books to try to train our youngest girls, Lauren and Melissa, but let’s just say that it is one area where they did not share his passion:). I hope that many in the chess fraternity will be able to use these books as a continued legacy of John’s love for and commitment to the game of chess and that the tournament in his honour today will be a huge success.
End of speech
After her speech, Cape Town Chess Federation unveiled the John Hess Book Corner. The books would now be used on a loan basis so that players could use the books to develop themselves.
Figure 8: Prof.Carolissen ready to make the first move against Dr.Shabier Bhawoodien
Figure 9: Dr.Shabier Bhawoodien vs Roland Willenberg
Contextualising a Chess Giant
The formal proceedings continued with insights from current and former administrators who worked alongside John Hess.
Dr. Omar Esau, representing Manyanani Chess Club, then took the floor to reflect on the deep-rooted bond between the club and John Hess. He regaled the audience with stories from the late 1970s and 1980s, recalling how Hess was instrumental in the club’s early development. In a moving tribute, Dr. Esau praised the remarkable administrative acumen that defined John’s service to the chess community.
Figure 10: Dr. Omar Esau
Roland Willenberg, representing Steinitz Chess Club and himself a former President of Chess Western Province, then shared a heartfelt account of John Hess’s influence on the youth of Bonteheuwel. He recounted how both he and his brother, Shaun, were just teenagers when they began serving under Hess on the WPCA Executive. Roland highlighted John’s remarkably calm demeanour, a quality that provided steady guidance to the young administrators and players during their formative years.
Figure 11: (From Left) Roland Willenberg; Melissa Hess; Prof. Carolissen
Mark Lewis, also representing Steinitz Chess Club and serving as the first President of Chess Western Cape, reminded the audience of the pivotal role John Hess played in the club’s early history. He recalled how Hess encouraged Steinitz to join the organised ranks of the WPCA at a time when no one in the club was older than nineteen, assuring them that the club would grow through formal affiliation. Lewis noted that Hess brought a necessary, grounding calmness to every meeting; if the President was composed, it set a standard of tranquillity for everyone else to follow. He also observed that despite John’s warmth and the many meetings he hosted at his own home, he remained a deeply private individual.
Figure 12: Mark Lewis
Words from a Long-Time Friend
Because Reggie Sinden, a close family friend and colleague of 40 years, was unable to attend the funeral or this memorial personally, his written tribute was read to the audience by Shaun Willenberg. The speech detailed John’s instrumental role in establishing SACA and his mentorship of legendary players like Shabier Bhawoodien and Kenny Solomon.
Here is the full speech by Reggie Sinden:
JOHN HESS MEMORIAL by Reggie Sinden
I have known John Hess for the better part of 40 years; he was not only a chess friend, but also a close family friend. I remember the many times Pam and I were invited to their home in Southfield where we had fondue on Friday evenings.
As Secretary of the WPCA I had a good working relationship with John in the mid 80’s. I took over from Shaheed Mohammad in 1983 because he was too preoccupied with the business of the New National body, SACA.
John Hess was elected President of the SACOS aligned Western Province Chess Association in November 1982 after Aubrey Haupt resigned. John held that position until 1985. Our Exco meetings were held not only at 98 Libra Way in Surrey Estate but also in Mitchells Plain, Bonteheuwel or wherever the Executive resided. 1984 he was instrumental in the establishment of the first Non-Racial National Chess body, viz. South African Chess Association (SACA) that later became CAPSA. He initiated Fide support for WPCA via the American, Jerry Bibuld. The late Jerry Bibuld was appointed as the International Chess Representative for the WPCA and later assumed that role for the National body, CAPSA.
In 1983 John Hess granted full membership to WP Senior Schools Sports Union (which consisted of 50 High schools with 1350 players). He also allowed associated membership to the WP Primary Schools Sports Union (with 40 schools and 1500 players); we also had Seven Training Colleges affiliated to WPCA at the time.
In 1985 John Hess bestowed Honorary Colours on the following chess personalities:
- The Principal of Harold Cressy High School, Mr VJ Ritchie for the sterling work
done amongst school children that became the leaders of WPCA;
- Jerome Bibuld that acted as WPCA International Ambassador and later the CAPSA
International Representative. He placed our name in journals all over America and represented us fearlessly at FIDE Congresses;
- Andre van Reenen who we all know as the father of Non-racial chess in South Africa.
After a brief absence, he was re-elected as President of WPCA in 1987. John also gave a good account of himself over the Chess board. In 1985 he tied with a number of players for 3 rd place in the WP OPEN Championships held at Garlandale High School. John played his chess for the Athlone Chess Club for many years and served as a good mentor for the indomitable Shabier Bhawoodien, who won multiple National and Provincial Chess Titles.
In 1993 and 1994 John Hess was President of the new Unified Provincial Chess Body, namely Chess Western Province. During this time I was head hunted by him to serve on the new body.
The period prior to this I was still the General Secretary of CAPSA in 1992. This was also the time when the Fide Commission on South Africa was on a fact finding mission in the Country. Because of the abortive CAPSA leg of the visit I have never seen the Commissioners to present the CAPSA memorandum to them. At 10:30pm that night I excused myself from that meeting which I believe still happened at around midnight. The next day my wife gave birth to my first born – this is the time when I decided to take a chess “sabbatical” and spend more time with the family.
John visited me quite frequently to twist my arm to serve on the Exco of CWP. Even at Dillons first birthday in 1993, where he and his wife were invited, he was insistent that I must come. Roland Willenberg was the Secretary at the time and he wanted to stand down. I told John that I will assist but I am not committing to any position on his Exco. I was invited to attend a Board meeting at his place in Southfield where I met the then Exco, late Kevin Horne, Roland Willenberg, Sam Milner, Jonathan Gluckman and another person. I did not speak in that meeting, trying to observe protocol, but when they selected a provincial team to play nationals I almost fell on my back when they hand picked a team. I said why do you hand pick a team, all the schools are not on board in the newly unified structures, I said that “you must cast the net as wide as possible, have trials in order to select players” It is then that I said that I can bring players that could give a good account of themselves in these trials. Kenny Solomon just started to play chess and I had him in mind when I made that statement. The late Kevin Horn was sceptical about the idea as he knows that players after their first loss they disappear from the chess scene. The board then decided that they will follow the route of Trials. Kenny came to tie with their favourite player, viz. Konrad Van Zyl Smit. It is then that I was sucked back into Chess.
Years after this John Hess still spoke highly of this achievement. Together we planned projects for the benefit of chess, and I remember that in November 1994 John arranged a Simultaneous match for the visiting French International Chess Master, Bachar Kouatley. This event took place over 10 boards at the Old Mutual offices in Claremont. Kenneth Solomon, (only 15 years old) at the time was the only player that drew against the IM.
John was passionately in love with Chess, He was an inspiration to so many people, often engaging in selfless sacrifices for a thankless job. In 2017 the President of CWP, Dr Deon Solomon (one of Hess’s protégés), ceremoniously bestowed honorary colours on John Hess for the inspiration he instilled in administrators like us and the many chess players that came through the ranks that took up their rightful place in society.
When Ronelle shared with me the day of his passing I was shocked. I also felt honoured when she asked me to compile thoughts of his contribution towards chess. I regarded it as a privilege to write a Tribute, but unfortunately could not attend the funeral myself. Be that as it may she also shared with me that the day of his passing he was still playing correspondence chess that morning, his Rating was 1757, ranked 1399 with 135 wins 71 draws and 80 losses. At the 2024 CWP League, after observing a moment of silence, the President, Dr Omar Esau asked me to say a few words to honour John’s legacy.
John will always be remembered as a person with vision for chess; he often went about his business in a very modest and unassuming way. He created a nursery of players and young administrators to the benefit of the Associations and chess. With these administrative abilities we can truly say that we serve chess and the society as a whole.
R J SINDEN
20 January 2026
End of speech
Figure 13: Shaun Willenberg
The Tournament Commences
With the tributes concluded, the “1st John Hess Memorial Over 50s Rapid Tournament” officially began. The field was filled with veterans and former protégés of Hess, all competing in the spirit of fair play he so fiercely defended.
Figure 14: Tournament Medals
Figure 15: Legends
Figure 16: (Left): Greg Baker vs Roland Willenberg; (Back) Dion Brand
Final Tournament Results
The tournament was won by FM Shabier Bhawoodien, a fitting result given that Hess served as his mentor for many years. Bhawoodien finished with 4.5/5 points.
Final Standings (Top 5):
- FM Shabier Bhawoodien (4.5 pts)
- PM Mark Lewis (4.0 pts)
- Ashley Schuller (4.0 pts)
- Roland Willenberg (4.0 pts)
- Athon Willenberg (3.5 pts)
Figure 17: John Hess 1st Memorial Tournament Participants
Figure 18: Final Standings