Name: Tejasvi Kanwal
Place of birth: Haryana, India
Sport code: Chess
Qualification: Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology (BINCT)
Q: When did you join the DUT Sport Team?
A: “I joined the chess team in 2024, in my first year of study.”
Q: What sparked your interest in this type of sport?
A: “I’ve been enamored with chess for most of my life after my father taught me the game at the age of six. Also, strong competition in high school finally induced an increase in my passion and zeal to improve, and now I’ve been playing chess seriously for three years.”
Q: In terms of the position you play, elaborate what it entails and how it benefits the team?
A: “Despite chess being an individual sport, during team tournaments such as the USSA, it is important to, as one of the strongest players, to help the other players improve and always be available and willing to have discourse and exchange ideas pertaining to chess strategy.”
Q: Which other sport codes are you interested in and why?
A: “I’m interested in Esports as I was a member of the Esports club in my high school and participated in a national event, however I have not played for DUT.”
Q: What is the biggest tournament you have participated in?
A: “The 2024 SA Open and 2024 Chess USSA tournament.”
Q: Why is it vital for DUT to develop students in sports?
A: “Sports are an ideal conduit and catalyst through which certain traits and characteristics can be cultivated in an individual, and university students need to have sports to be able to have skills for their future after graduating from DUT. Chess has the well-known benefits of improving memory, spatial cognition, decision making, patience, thought structure and much more. It’s simply one of the best sports for improving and preserving the health of our brain as we get older and even has physical benefits of burning cardio during intense matches.”
Q: Who is your sport role model and why?
A: “While I don’t necessarily have a distinct chess role-model, Bobby Fischer is the closest candidate. Despite having a tumultuous life, Fischer was an artist who composed the most brilliant evergreen games with his prodigy predisposition. I attempt to emulate his brilliance.”
Q: Which ENVISION2030 Living Values and Principles do you associate with and why?
A: “Integrity, commitment and excellence. You must have respect and an immutable enthusiasm for your hobby, passion and sport and its indicative of the respect you have for yourself.”
Q: Do you see a future in chess?
A: “It’s difficult to ascertain currently as there are many factors which are variable. Chess in general has always been very parsimonious, meaning that only the top 20 players in the world can ever make a decent living. So, while chess as a profession is difficult, there are thousands of top world players who still play chess as a secondary profession, with another job as their primary source of income .”
Q: As a DUT sport star, how does your role benefit your community?
A: “I’m not only cultivating and promoting chess in DUT but in the general Durban chess community too-being in this position imparts the necessary channels of communication, I need to try to help aspiring players play in tournaments which they either may not be able to afford or simply do not have the experience for.”
Q: What impact has sport made on your life?
A: “It has aided me with discipline, commitment and all of the aforementioned benefits of chess.”
Q: Can you suggest some ideas to attract spectators to varsity sport?
A: “Social media marketing and inter-university competitions are imperative. There is no league or organised play between KZN universities with regards to chess, which is unfortunate and would aid in increasing the appeal and interest in chess as well as to provide more opportunities for players to improve.”
