Shatakane Smela

Republic of South Africa

Hello, my name is Shatakane Smela. I am from South Africa. Born in 2002, I am currently pursuing LLB (Bachelor of Laws) as my qualification. Unlike most  kids I was a late bloomer, I got into chess quite late when my mathematics teacher bought me a chessboard as a birthday present.

Ever since then I have been studying the game of chess, becoming part of the SmilingPawn community was the game changer. Goran Radic was more than just a coach, he was a mentor and he truly wanted to make a difference. If not for this man I wouldn’t be where I am today in terms of my chess development, for that I am eternally grateful.