Commonwealth News and Information Service (London)
16 November 2009
At 15, Mateus Alice's world fell apart. A bright and dedicated student from the city of Beira in Mozambique, he was told that a prized scholarship he had won to study in the United Kingdom had been given to someone else.
"I sunk into a deep depression and didn't know what to do," he said. "I used to love English and my dream to continue studying it was shattered."
Thirteen years later, he recalls how the kind words of a family friend changed his life forever: "He told me that I was a bright student and that there was something else that I could be good at, something I could do that would use my brain."
FIDE Master
FIDE Master (FM) is a title awarded by the world chess governing body, Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE). Introduced in 1978, FM ranks below the titles of International Master and International Grandmaster, but ahead of Candidate Master.
That something else was chess. "I got hold of an encyclopaedia and read about the game. I learned the moves and because I didn't own a chess board, I drew one. Later, I started practising with my brother using a real chess board."
One year later, aged 16, Mateus had won the Sofala provincial championship and went on to play in the national championships in the capital, Maputo where he came second.
"After that, I kept playing and I won my first national championship in 2001. Five years later, I became Mozambique's first Fide Master. This was a big achievement for Africa."
Next month, Mateus will be travelling to Singapore to compete in the Commonwealth Open Championship (9th to 15th December 2009) for the first time. The game has already taken him many places around the world, including Egypt, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia, but also further afield to France, Germany and Italy.
"It is very difficult for us in Africa to get titles, because we get few opportunities to play in tournaments compared with European and Asian competitors," he says.
It's tough playing professionally and the money isn't great, he admits. "Chess is one of the best games when you're winning, but the worst when you are defeated.
"I once played in South Africa and made one mistake, which lost me R10,000," he explains. "But chess becomes the best thing in the word when you win. You feel really good inside, relaxed."
Mateus is currently practising for five-six hours a day, on his computer, and online with other people. He is slowly increasing this in preparation for his dream goal: to win the All Africa Games in 2011, which take place in Maputo.
"I want to win this medal on my home ground and I have two years to prepare," he says. "I made a promise to myself seven years ago that I would win the African Championship and I will pursue this dream up to the last day of my life."
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I am very proud about this boy, i am from Beira city and i know how few are the chances for the people in Beira, apart of what happen to him, i think that he is a strong person, with lot of qualities and also very intelligent, even if saw that his prize was taken away he turned it in a good way, and now here he are, a brave young boy taking is life in a good way with a lot of enthusiasm. Congratulations, i hope to be in Maputo in 2011 to see him win.