Jesse February

Last updated

Jesse February
Full nameJesse Nikki February
CountrySouth Africa
Born (1997-01-28) January 28, 1997 (age 27)
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Title Woman International Master (2016)
Peak rating 1972 (April 2024)

Jesse February (born 1997) is a South African chess player who holds the title of Woman International Master (WIM, 2016). She is a two-time South African women's chess champion and has also won the African women's chess championship twice, in 2021 and 2024.

Contents

Chess career

February earned the title of Woman FIDE Master in 2015, and Woman International Master in 2016. She has represented South Africa in the Women's Chess Olympiad of 2016 (scoring 4/9 on board three), [1] 2018 (6.5/10 on board one) [2] and 2022 (2/7 on board one). [3]

In 2015, she was crowned U18 girls champion at the South Africa junior closed chess championships, and was selected to play for the national team for the World Youth Chess Championships in Greece that October. [4]

In 2015, she also came first in the University Sport South Africa closed chess championships at Wits University in Johannesburg, and was invited to participate in the World University Chess Championships in Hungary. [5] In 2017 and 2019, she won the Women's section of the South African Chess Championship. [6] [7]

In May 2021, February participated in the Women's African Individual Championship, winning the event with a score of 7/9. [8] With this victory, February is eligible to be awarded the title of Woman Grandmaster, provided she attains a rating of 2100. [9]

She qualified for the Women's Chess World Cup 2021 held in July, where she was defeated by GM Valentina Gunina 1.5-0.5 in the first round. [10]

February qualified to represent South Africa in the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad 2021 where she faced 8 opponents with an average rating exceeding 2000. She finished the event on 2/8(+2=0-6) [11]

She qualified for the Women's Grand Swiss 2021 and scored 0.5/11 for a performance rating of 1976. [12] She went on to win the Nelson Mandela Bay Closed tournament in December 2021 with a perfect score of 4/4. [13]

February participated in the 2022 South African Women's Chess Championship and finished in second place with a score of 4.5/6, [14] half a point behind Chloe Badenhorst who was crowned the new South African Women's Champion

February won the African women's chess championship for the second time in 2024. [15]

Streaming

In late January 2020, February partnered up with Woman Candidate Master, Rebecca Selkirk to start the HashtagChess channel on the streaming platform Twitch which has amassed a following of over ten thousand as of 2021. [16]

On 1 October 2021, February announced that she would be leaving HashtagChess, making Selkirk the sole owner of the channel, to start streaming on her personal Twitch account (Jesse_Feb). The split was amicable with "different career and content creation goals" being cited as the primary reasons. [17]

February streamed and conducted interviews with the players during the 2024 Cape Town Chess Masters, an event described as having "raised the standard of chess broadcasting in South Africa". [18]

Coaching

February also works as a professional chess coach in the chess training platform, Cochess, where she offers private chess lessons. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Kosteniuk</span> Russian-Swiss chess grandmaster (born 1984)

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk is a Russian and Swiss chess grandmaster who was the Women's World Chess Champion from 2008 to 2010 and Women's World Rapid Chess Champion in 2021. She was European women's champion in 2004 and a two-time Russian Women's Chess Champion. Kosteniuk won the team gold medal playing for Russia at the Women's Chess Olympiads of 2010, 2012 and 2014; the Women's World Team Chess Championship of 2017; and the Women's European Team Chess Championships of 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2017; and the Women's Chess World Cup 2021. In 2022, due to sanctions imposed on Russian players after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she switched federations, and as of March 2023 she represents Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Srinath Narayanan</span> Indian chess grandmaster

Srinath Narayanan is an Indian chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in August 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ju Wenjun</span> Chinese chess grandmaster (born 1991)

Ju Wenjun is a Chinese chess grandmaster. She is the current Women's World Chess Champion. In March 2017 she became the fifth woman to achieve a rating of 2600. She is a four-time Women's World Chess Champion, having won the title first in May 2018. She then defended her title in November 2018, 2020, and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Rudolf</span> Hungarian chess player (born 1987)

Anna Rudolf is a Hungarian chess player, chess commentator, livestreamer, and YouTuber who holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She is a three-time Hungarian women's national chess champion and has represented Hungary at the Chess Olympiad and the European Team Chess Championship. She has a peak FIDE rating of 2393 and a career-best ranking of No. 71 in the world among women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuliia Osmak</span> Ukrainian chess player

Yuliia Vladyslavivna Osmak is a Ukrainian chess player who holds the title of Woman grandmaster and International master. Women's Chess Olympiad winner (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qiyu Zhou</span> Canadian chess player (born 2000)

Qiyu Zhou, also known as Nemo Zhou and her online alias akaNemsko, is a Chinese-born Canadian chess player who holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and FIDE Master (FM), and is a live streamer on Twitch. She has been an under-14 girls' World Youth Champion, a Canadian women's national champion, and a Finnish women's national champion. Zhou has a peak FIDE rating of 2367 and a career-best ranking of No. 100 in the world among women. She is the first Canadian woman to earn the Woman Grandmaster or FIDE Master titles, and has represented Canada at the Women's Chess Olympiad since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunay Mammadzada</span> Azerbaijani chess player

Gunay Vugar qizi Mammadzada is an Azerbaijani chess player who holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) through the International Chess Federation (FIDE). She has been an under-10 girls' World Youth Champion, and both an under-8 and an under-14 girls' European Youth Champion. Mammadzada is a two-time Azerbaijani women's national champion, which she achieved in 2017 and 2019. She has represented Azerbaijan at the Chess Olympiad, the World Team Chess Championship, and the European Team Chess Championship, winning both team and individual bronze medals at the latter in 2019. Mammadzada has a peak FIDE rating of 2483 and has been ranked as high as No. 18 in the world among women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alireza Firouzja</span> Iranian-French chess grandmaster (born 2003)

Alireza Firouzja is an Iranian and French chess grandmaster. Firouzja is the youngest player to have surpassed a FIDE rating of 2800, beating the previous record set by Magnus Carlsen by more than five months.

Denise Bouah, formerly known as Denise Frick, is a South African chess player who holds the title of Woman International Master.

Shahenda Wafa is an Egyptian chess player who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster (2017). She is a three-time African Women's Chess Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andreea Navrotescu</span> French chess player

Andreea-Cristiana Navrotescu is a French chess player who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster. She is a Women's Chess Olympiad individual silver medalist (2016).

Rebecca Joy Selkirk, is a South African chess player and Woman Candidate Master.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juliana Sayumi Terao</span> Brazilian chess player

Juliana Sayumi Terao is a Brazilian chess player. She received the FIDE titles of FIDE Master (FM) in 2017 and Woman International Master (WIM) in 2012. From 2014 until 2020 she was ranked as the best female chess player in Brazil. Her highest rating was 2311, achieved in March 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans Niemann</span> American chess grandmaster (born 2003)

Hans Moke Niemann is an American chess grandmaster and Twitch streamer. He became a FIDE Grandmaster on January 22, 2021. In July 2021, he won the World Open chess tournament in Philadelphia. He first entered the Top 100 Junior players list at position 88 on March 1, 2019, and as of September 2023, he was the eighth-highest-rated Junior in the world. His peak global ranking was No. 31, in May 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Cramling</span> Swedish chess player (born 2002)

Anna Yolanda Cramling Bellón is a Spanish-Swedish chess player, Twitch live streamer, and YouTuber who holds the FIDE title of Woman FIDE Master (WFM). She had a peak FIDE rating of 2175 in March 2018. Cramling represented Sweden in the 2016 and 2022 Chess Olympiad as well as two European Team Chess Championships.

Svitlana Demchenko is a Ukrainian-born Canadian chess player. Svitlana Demchenko achieved the title of Woman FIDE Master (WFM) in 2016 and now holds the title of Woman International Master (WIM) since achieved in 2019. Svitlana Demchenko is the 2023 Canadian Women's Closed Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Alboredo</span> Brazilian chess player

Julia Alboredo is a Brazilian chess player. She was awarded the title of Woman International Master in 2022. Alboredo is the 2020 Brazilian women's champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eline Roebers</span> Dutch chess player

Eline Roebers is a Dutch chess International Master. She is the reigning Dutch Women's Champion and was the 2022 Dutch Youth Champion in the open division. Roebers was the 2020 online World Youth Champion in the under-14 girls' division, and was the first Dutch player to win a World Youth Championship in any category. Roebers began playing chess at age seven and she has been coached by Dutch International Master Robert Ris. Her father Jan is a FIDE Master (FM). She won an individual bronze medal on the second board at the European Women's Team Championship in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lina Nassr</span> Algerian chess player

Lina Nassr is an Algerian chess player who holds the title of Woman International Master (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caleb Levitan</span> South African chess player

Caleb Levi Levitan is a South African chess player who holds the title of FIDE Master. He is among the top 10 South African chess players.

References

  1. ↑ "Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 42nd Olympiad Baku 2016 Women". chess-results.com. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 43rd Olympiad Batumi 2018 Women". chess-results.com. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 44th Olympiad Chennai 2022". chess-results.com. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "International travel opportunities for Chess star Jesse February". ecas.co.za. 29 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "More chess accolades for Jesse February". mype.co.za. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  6. ↑ "2017 South African Closed Chess Championships Women". chess-results.com.
  7. ↑ "2019 South African Closed Chess Championships Open". chess-results.com.
  8. ↑ "Moaataz, Ayah vs. February, Jesse Nikki | African Women's Championship 2021". chess24.com. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  9. ↑ "B. Permanent Commissions / 01. International Title Regulations (Qualification Commission) / FIDE Title Regulations effective from 1 July 2017 / FIDE Handbook". International Chess Federation (FIDE). Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  10. ↑ "Tournament tree — FIDE World Cup 2021". worldcup-results.fide.com. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 2021 FIDE Online Olympiad". chess-results.com. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "FIDE Chess.com Women's Grand Swiss 2021". chess24.com. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  13. ↑ "Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - NMB CLOSED 2021". chess-results.com. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "February, Jesse Nikki vs. Badenhorst, Chloe | South African Women's Championship 2022". chess24.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 2024 African Individual Chess Championships (AICC) - Women's Section". chess-results.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "Twitch". Twitch. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "TwitLonger — When you talk too much for Twitter". www.twitlonger.com. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  18. ↑ Wilson, Paul (10 January 2024). "Cape Town Masters Chess Championship 2024 – South African Chess Hub" . Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  19. ↑ "CoChess". cochess.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.