Gauteng’s Caleb Levitan heads to Riyadh!

Gauteng Chess proudly congratulates IM Caleb Levitan on qualifying to represent South Africa at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh.

For Gauteng, this is a moment of real pride. Caleb is one of the outstanding young talents to come through our chess community, and this latest achievement adds to an already remarkable chess journey.
He became South Africa’s youngest FIDE Master in 2023, later became South Africa’s youngest International Master, and also became the youngest player ever to represent South Africa at a Chess Olympiad.

The chess event will take place in Riyadh from 2–8 November 2026, with 128 players competing in person on computers. Interesting fact: Esports chess is still real chess — just played digitally, in a fast 10-minute format under official event conditions.

For Gauteng, Caleb’s achievement is also a reminder of why local chess matters: the clubs, tournaments, coaches, families, and communities around our players help create the foundation for moments like this.

Congratulations Caleb. Gauteng is proud of you, and we wish you every success as you represent South Africa in Riyadh. ♟️🇿🇦