Paul Roos Gymnasium affiliates to MSSA.

Paul Roos Gymnasium

Paul Roos Gymnasium, a boys school with a tradition of excellence in all areas of education which was founded in 1866 is the latest school to affiliate to Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA).

The school is known for having produced the largest number of Springbok rugby players (50) and is now taking a plunge into the world’s newest and fastest growing sport – esports.

In 2005, Paul Roos Gimnasium produced a member of the Protea wargaming team, Pierre Lötter, who won silver at the International Wargames Federation’s (IWF) World Championships.

Having a school with the ethos and dedication as continually exhibited by Paul Roos Gymnasium, the school is bound to be a game changer.

MSSA welcomes Paul Roos Gymnasium into the fold and hopes that the school shall have a long and fruitful association.

Morabaraba rules!

The only accredited board for competition play

The following rules are to be used in all championships:

General:

1. The rules for the version, as depicted in the above image, are known as the Generally Accepted Rules (GAR).
2. For competition play, the board may be made of any material as long as the board has the approved notation which is owned by the International Wargames Federation.
3. Board sizes are:

• For Provincial, National, and International Championships – 490mm x 490mm (Cows being 45mm in diameter and 5mm in depth), and
• All other competitions – 300mm x 300mm (Cows being 30mm in diameter and 10mm in depth).

4. All cows shall have MSSA's logo on the cow.
5. There are 24 junctions on the board.
6. Each player is issued with a set of 12 cows. One set being of a dark colour, and one set being of a light colour.
7. The colour white may not be used for cows as the colour may confuse players as to whether a cow has been placed.
8. Only players who have won MSSA's national championships, or who have received Protea Colours for the game of Morabaraba, may use cows which are green in colour. Such cows are awarded by MSSA in numbered sets. Such players have the right to use such cows instead of any such cows as supplied by any Tournament organiser in any event falling under the jurisdiction of MSSA.
9. The outside ring is known as the “Exterior Ring” and the junctions are numbered clockwise from from the top left hand corner E1 to E8.
10. The middle ring is known as the “Principle Ring” and the junctions are numbered clockwise from from the top left hand corner A1 to A8.
11. The inner ring is known as the “Restricted Ring” and the junctions are numbered clockwise from from the top left hand corner R1 to R8.
12. The notation was developed by Dr. Evgenii Rabiner.
13. Notation shall be scored as follows:

• When placing cows – just write the junction's address, that is “A1”, or “E5”, etc.
• When moving cows – write down the initial junction's address with a hyphen and then the final function's address, for example: “A1 – A8”
• When moving a cow to form a line and 'shooting' one of your opponent's cows, write down the initial junction's address with a hyphen an then the final function's address a multiplication sign and the address of the cow that has just been 'shot', for example: “A1 – A8 x E1”
• Notation of a typical game may appear as follows:

14. The notation for the board is owned by the International Wargames Federation, and boards are readily available from Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA).

How to play:

Play consists of three stages:

 

Stage 1:

• Each player starts with 12 tokens called "cows".

• The player who has been allocated the dark colour begins.

• Starting with a clear board, each player alternatively places one cow at a time on a junction (circle). The aim is to create rows of three, either vertically, diagonally, or horizontally. Cows may only be placed on unoccupied junctions.

• When three-in-a-row is achieved, the player may remove (shoot) one of the opponent's cows. A player can not shoot an opponent's "three-in-a-row" cows if there are other cows on the board left to shoot.

• Only one of the opponent's cows may be shot at a time, even if two (or more) lines of three-in-a-row are achieved with one move.

• Once a cow is shot, it shall not be used in play again. 

Stage 2

• When all twelve cows of each player have been placed on the board as per Stage 1, cows may be moved from one junction to another. A move consists of moving a cow from one junction to an unoccupied junction immediately linked and adjacent to that junction.

• Players may break their own lines of three-in-a-row in order to make new lines, or simply reposition their cows.

• Cows may be moved back and forth to the same two junctions repeatedly. A three-in-a-row may be made, broken and remade repeatedly.

• Notwithstanding the rule that lines may be broken and remade repeatedly, if a player breaks a line to immediately create a new line of three ‘cows’, such player may not move such cow back to the original junction in his/her next move, if it creates a new line.

For example:

Should a player have a ‘cow’ on the junction marked E6, such player may move it to the junction marked as A6 to immediately create a new line. However, in such player’s next move, he/she may not move the cow back to A6, instead, such player must do a different move before moving the cow back to E6 to immediately create a new line.

• Each time a three-in-a-row is remade, an opponent's cow shall be shot.

Stage 3

• When a player has lost all but three cows, then a player may move a cow to any vacant junction on the board with each move.
  

Winning the game

• The game is won when the opponent cannot move any cows: or when the opponent has lost all but two cows.

• When a player is down to three cows, and neither player is able to shoot an opponent's cow within ten moves, the game is a draw.

• For National Championships and National Team Trials, failure to hand in a correct Notation Sheet is an automatic loss.

Competition rules

• Boards and counters shall be provided for the competitors.

• A modified Swiss system will operate throughout the competition. Players shall not play against any relatives in the first degree of consanguinity. Thus a player would not be allowed to play against his/her spouse, parent, brother, sister, and/or child. Additionally where possible a player will not be drawn against any fellow club or team member in the first two rounds of the competition.

• The current IWF scoring system shall be used, that is 1 point for a victory, ½ a point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss per game.

• Each player shall play six games against each opponent. Each player shall start three of such games.

"She who is Powerful"

Morizane Boyes - President of MSSA.

Morizane Boyes first entered competitive gaming in 2013, and since then has not only been competitive, but has excelled in everything that she has done.

In 2013, Morizane earned her Mpumulanga Provincial Colours, and at the S A National Championships too earned herself National Federation Colours. That not being enough, at MSSA’s Annual General Meeting in December 2013, Morizane was elected in for the role of Womens’ Desk. Morizane immediately made her task to introduce more females to gaming.

Such were her efforts that Morizane won the Volunteer of the Year at SPAR's GSport Awards.

In the next year (2014), Morizane earned a re-award of her Provincial Colours at the Gauteng Provincial Championships, and qualified for National Team trials for both StarCraft II and Tekken Tag Tournament being the only female in the history of MSSA to qualify for two different titles.

But StarCraft II and Tekken are not the only games played by Morizane. As Morizane says, “When I’m not “adulting” I am an avid gamer, I play almost everything”. This is indeed true, and apart from games like StarCraft II and Tekken, Morizane too plays CounterStrike and Rust.

Morizane was thus selected to represent South Africa as a member of the Protea eSports Team for IeSF’s 6thWorld Championships – Baku where Morizane represented the country above and beyond the call of duty.

Morizane too became the first female in the world to referee an international test match, and in 2015 refereed test matches in which South Africa played against Austria, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Tunisia.

With the birth of her son in 2016, Morizane stepped back from active competitive gaming, but still, through Sekhmetic strength, carried on with her duties.

In 2016, Morizane refereed the test match between South Africa and Ghana as well as organised the Mpumulanga Schools Championships, the Mpumulanga Championships, and the 30th S A National Championships. Even if Morizane was not directly involved in organising an event, Morizane was seen to be involved ‘backstage’.

Even while Morizane was competing herself, Morizane never shirked on her Management Board duties. During her period of office,female participation at MSSA events increased by a stunning 663%.

On the results shown under her tenure, Morizane was heard to remark, “I really am excited to see a larger group of girls joining the gaming scene. I believe that there is still a long way to go and I have some amazing women on the MSSA board who are going to help me make a difference for our girl gamers. We are hoping that we will be able to show the country how many talented ladies we have out there. Unfortunately some girls do still see this as a male dominated sport and we are hoping to change that mind set by starting female only tournaments where these ladies can build the confidence and the skill level to be able to take our guys.

Thus at MSSA’s 2016 Annual General Meeting, the Council Meeting with one voice elected Morizane as President as every member believes that Morizane is able to construct a sustainable gaming community.

Thus, even though MSSA is governed by committee, Morizane has firm and positive visions for gaming in South Africa.

Even though MSSA is tied in to its relationships with the International Wargames Federation, International e-Sports federation, and World draughts Federation, Morizanes vision for the MSSA is to have South African gaming to get stronger and move to larger stages all over the world!

Morizane stated, “I honestly believe we have the potential to place our stamp in larger tournaments and be taken seriously. I want to see bigger teams getting involved and I believe that it’s something we can achieve. I want to see e-Sports grow positively and I’m willing to work with the gaming community to achieve that”.

MSSA has always chosen the best possible Registered Players to represent South Africa, and many will remember the top South Africans like Robert Botha, Nathan Anderson, Anthony Hodgson, and Mohamed Wasim Lorgat (to name but a few)who have represented South Africa as members of the Protea Team. However, there are some clubs that are still not affiliated, and it is Morizane’s desire to see all organised clubs to be members of MSSA.

As Morizane stated on this issue, “As long as I’ve been a part of the MSSA, MSSA has never turned down any club that wanted to compete! I have heard from gamers in larger clubs that they fear that if they join the MSSA that they will not be able to take part in any other leagues. This is not the case we want gamers to improve their skills and playing as often as possible is the only way that can be achieved. I would love to be given the opportunity to converse with the gamers who have concerns, so that we can start creating a better gaming community”.

With a very energetic group of people who are on the MSSA Management Board, Morizane is looking forward to making all gaming bigger and better through creating a space where all gamers feel comfortable.

We all wish Morizane all the best with her three year term of office that runs until December 2019.

Individual Battle Honours: Are you up to the challenge?

Jason van Wyngaard considering his options at the 2012 IWF World Championships.

MSSA has finally changed the Super League back to the very successful Individual Battle Honours.

The holder of the Individual Battle Honours may be challenged at any time by any MSSA Registered Player, as long as the notice period is adhered to, and is fought using the Handicap system.

The Handicap System is a proven developmental system which makes it possible for newcomers to have a fighting chance, pun intended, against the older and more experienced players.

Players enter with a handicap of 3, where older and more  experienced players may have a handicap of 10.
All Handicap games are played on a 32 - 0 scoring system.

However where a player with a handicap of 3 takes on a player with a Handicap score of 10, the player with a Handicap score of 3 gets 14 points, out of a possible 32, off his/her opponent before the game even starts.

Currently, the current holder has a Handicap score of 10. Everybody thus gets an advantage - it is going to be so much fun!

Thus the competition is up for grabs.

Pos	Name of Player	Club	Points
1	Webster, Colin 91	OE	10
2	Schoeman, Garth 02	KMSC	7
3	Barry, Sean 09	RPS	6
4	Batzofin, Jason	SJC	5
5	Holliday, Carl 09	PBHS	4
6	Allwright, Terence	OE	3
7	Retief, Elishia 14	OE	3
9	Burger, Erasmus	TUKS	3
10	Mullany, Donald	OE	3
11	Bouwer, Abie	OE	3
12	Havenga, Duane	WAR	3
13	Beuken, Leopold	RPS	3
14	Hervey, Simon	PBHS	3
15	Louw, Adam	PBHS	3
16	Retief, Ewan 14	OE	3
17	Getzner, Jacques	TKMSC	3
19	van Vuuren, Marius	WAR	3
21	Bouwer, Nathan	OE	3
22	Groenewald, Zenadia	WAR	3
23	Retief, Michael	OE	3
24	Love, Dorian	OE	3
25	Schoeman, Alex	KMSC	3

I would encourage gamers to make use of this opportunity, win the trophy and then play as hard as possible to retain it.

Previous holders of the Individual Honours Trophy are:

YEAR	ANCIENTS	CLUB
2016	Colin Webster	OE
2015	Garth Schoeman	KMSC
2014	Colin Webster	OE
2013	Colin Webster	OE
2012	Colin Webster	OE
2011	Dr David Vannucci	WITS
2010	Colin Webster	OE
2009	Colin Webster	OE
2008	Colin Webster	OE
2007	Edward van Trotsenburg	BWC
2006	Ingo Haferung	OE
2005	Ingo Haferung	OE
2004	Matthew Strachan (Jul)	MG
	Eugene Burger	OE
2003	Eugene Burger (Dec)	PEN
	Angelo Stathoussis (Dec)	OE
	Richard Ligault (May – Dec)	PEN
	Prof. David Davidson (Jan – April)	MG
2002	Prof. David Davidson	PEN
2001	Kevin Hoyle	OE
2000	David Webster	OE
1999	David Webster	OE
1998	David Webster (June – Dec)	OE
	Richard Gordon	PWC
	Christo Steenkamp (Jan-May)	WHAM
1997	Christo Steenkamp (Aug-Dec)	OE
	Pavel Rabiner (May '97 - Aug '97)	OE
	Pavel Rabiner	PWC
1996	Pavel Rabiner	PWC
	Christo Steenkamp (Jan – May)	OE
1995	Pavel Rabiner (Aug – Dec)	OE
	Colin Webster (Aug 95)	OE
	Dorian Botsis (Aug 95 - Aug 95)	OE
	Christo Steenkamp (Aug)	PWC
	Ben Fouche (Jan – Aug)	PWC
1994	Ben Fouche	PWC
1993	Ben Fouche (June – Dec)	PWC
	Colin Webster (Jan – May)	OE
	Grant Casey	OE
1992	Colin Webster (March – Dec)	OE
	Dr. Evgenii Rabiner	OE
1991	Dr. Evgenii Rabiner	OE
1990	Dr. Evgenii Rabiner	OE
1989	Dr. Evgenii Rabiner	OE

Please direct queries to: Sean Barry, 072 710 1286, nizzybarry@gmail.com