Charlize van Zyl
South African chess player (born 1999)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charlize van Zyl (born 19 September 1999)[1] is a South African chess player who holds the title of Woman International Master, which she earned in 2013 at the age of 13, becoming the youngest South African to do so.[2]
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van Zyl in 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 19, 1999 Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
| Chess career | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Title | Woman International Master (2013) |
| Peak rating | 1963 (January 2026) |
Chess career
Van Zyl won the African Zonals at age 13, earning her WIM title.[3] She has represented South Africa at the Chess Olympiad in 2018 (finishing on 3.5/8 on board 5)[4] and 2022 (4/9 on board 2).[5]
She came second in the Women's section of the 2022 African Chess Championship, finishing half a point behind Shahenda Wafa,[6] and qualifying for the Women's Chess World Cup 2023,[7] where she was defeated by Nurgyul Salimova in the first round.
Education
Van Zyl attended Collegiate Girls High School,[8] and studied a BA in media, communications and culture student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.[3][9]