Friday 43 Sports Friday, March 9, 2018 Chess victories win Pakistan’s ‘Queens of Karachi’ freedom

Pakistani schoolgirl winning 3rd victory in a row

KARACHI: Peering at the chess board from be- Chess master hind her spectacles, 14-year-old Pakistani Karachi’s chess queens have a distinct advan- schoolgirl Maleeha Ali deftly put her opponent’s tage. They are being trained by Pakistan’s former king in checkmate, winning her third victory in international chess master Shahzad Mirza, a a row. With a score of 24-4, her team of blue- keen promoter of the game in schools across the and-white uniformed teenagers from SMB Fa- country, better known for its love of cricket. tima Jinnah Government Girls School in Karachi, Most of the girls can outshine men in national Pakistan’s biggest city, trounced a group of boys tournaments, he told the Thomson Reuters from a prestigious private school. Foundation. “These girls have won the top five “You have to watch your opponent’s every positions so many times, I’ve lost count,” he said move from every angle,” said Ali, sitting on a with pride. Chess is also a compulsory subject high stool. With echoes for girls in grades 4 to 8 in the school, which is of Uganda’s “Queen of in Karachi’s old city Katwe”, the Pakistani Maleeha Ali deftly Garden area. teens have defied ex- Their success has pectations about girls in put her boosted their self-be- their conservative na- opponent’s lief, according to their tion by thrashing men coach Hira Sher Mo- nearly twice their age at king in checkmate hammad, 23, a former chess. “These girls al- student. “When the girls ways give us a tough win against boys, you time,” said Foad Abdul- should see how ecstatic lah, 15, from BVS Parsi High School who lost six they are,” she said. “It is of his eight games to the girls. the consistent victory that has brought about a change - girls have become confident and par- Like Phiona Mutesi - whose rise from a ents have come around too,” she added. “When Ugandan slum to international chess champi- these girls go to play matches outside the school onships inspired the 2016 Disney film - Pak- KARACHI: The all-girl chess team of SMB Fatima Jinnah Government Girls School. — Reuters premises, they have no problem getting permis- istan’s chess queens have beaten the odds to sion from their parents.” succeed. About 23 million children do not go to help to produce “strategic thinkers and problem 15-year-old Bushra Maqsood has been chosen school in Pakistan, half of them girls who often Strategic thinkers solvers who will tackle complex issues affecting to take part in the Seeds of Peace camp in the marry before the age of 18, miss out on educa- SMB Fatima Jinnah school has a second Pakistan or even the world”, said Roy, who has United States in June, which brings together tion because they have to work or cannot com- celebrity backer in the form of the Zindagi Trust, been honored by the government for his human- teenagers from countries in conflict to encour- mute long distances because it is not safe. The a charity run by Pakistani singer Shehzad Roy to itarian work. The school is one of about 600 in age dialogue and understanding. Although she majority of children who go to school attend improve the quality of education. “Chess is not southern Sindh province - one of the poorest re- has never left Pakistan or been on a plane and government institutions, which often have dilap- just a game,” he said. “It will help these girls ... gions of Pakistan - that is part of the Adopt-A- speaks only a smattering of English, she is not idated facilities and poor attendance rates by when they have to make important decisions or School program, which aims to improve facilities anxious. “I think I will manage,” she said, beam- teachers. handle tough situations in their lives.” Chess can in government schools. One of the chess queens, ing confidently.— Reuters

a first victory of the season against the winless Coastal Sharks. their new coach, the Argentine forward great Mario Ledesma, Things to watch The sides have met twice before with the Sharks, who drew at but the NSW Waratahs are expecting a torrid examination home to NSW Waratahs last week, coming out on top both from the team drilled by their former scrum guru. Ledesma times. The Sharks are desperate to get off the mark before a was credited for turning around the Wallabies’ international in tough trip to face ACT Brumbies, Melbourne Rebels and Auck- scrummaging woes when he was brought in by Michael land Blues in consecutive away matches. “We know we have a Cheika from the ‘Tahs, whose prop Tom Robertson is expect- lot to work on after last week and this game against the Sun- ing a tough time in Buenos Aires. “The Argentines love their HONG KONG: A massive clash in New Zealand tops the bill in wolves is one that we need to really nail down so that we can scrums so we are definitely expecting a big battle up front the latest round of Super Rugby fixtures. Here are five things to gain some confidence,” said kicking coach Braam van Straaten there,” Robertson said. “Mario is one of the legends of the look for this weekend: on the Sport24 website. game. You don’t play in four or five World Cups and play for your country at such a high level without learning a few Bake-off at the Cake Tin Star-studded Rebels things.” Reigning champions Canterbury Crusaders suffered only The new-look Melbourne Rebels are hoping to make it three one defeat last year, and that was against the 2016 Super Rugby wins in a row for the first time at the start of a Super Rugby sea- ‘Special’ milestone for Barrett winners the in Wellington’s Westpac Stadium, affec- son when they host the ACT Brumbies toay. The Rebels ran in Beauden Barrett will make his 100th appearance for the tionately known as the Cake Tin. They head back for the great six tries in last week’s 37-17 win over the Sunwolves, but coach Wellington Hurricanes in front of his home fans when he lines New Zealand bake-off depleted by the loss of fly-half Richie Dave Wessels thinks his star-studded backs featuring Wallabies up against Mo’unga’s replacement, Mitch Hunt, on Saturday. Mo’unga, who has undergone surgery on the jaw he fractured Will Genia, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge and Sefa Naivalu The world player of the year in 2016 and 2017, Barrett made against the Western Stormers. The Hurricanes jumped straight can do more. “We’ve got some firepower in our team and we his Canes debut in Bloemfontein against the Cheetahs in 2011, on a plane after beating the Jaguares in Buenos Aires last week- need to come up with a mindset that we want to attack games,” and has scored more than 1,000 points in Super Rugby. “It end for the long journey home across 16 time zones as they aim said Wessels on the team website. “There’s a subtle difference was always a dream to play a game for the Hurricanes and for to conquer jetlag and extend their home stranglehold over the between playing to win versus playing not to lose. And we want it to be my hundredth this weekend is very special,” the 26- Crusaders, who haven’t won in Wellington since 2012. to be a team that plays to win.” year-old said. He is the 12th Hurricanes player to reach the milestone after Dane Coles, , Cory Jane, Ma’a Sharks or Sunwolves off the mark? Super Mario turns on ‘Tahs Nonu, Julian Savea, , Rodney So’oialo, Jeremy Japan’s Sunwolves swap Tokyo for Durban as they look for The Jaguares have suffered three straight defeats under Thrush, Neemia Tialata, Tana Umaga and Victor Vito.— AFP