Reflection on IM Aderito Pedro by Dr Lyndon Bouah
It was with great sadness that I learnt this morning of the passing of International Master Aderito Pedro. I first met IM Aderito in Kenya in December 1993 when we competed in the African Junior Championship.
He massacred the field and scored first place with ease. Anthony Levy and I ended in joint second.
In 1995, Aderito and a few Angolans came to South Africa to compete in the SA Closed Chess Championship which was won by IM David Gluckman. Aderito after that for a few months attended the Karpov School of Chess in Sweden.
Aderito’s brother lived in Cape Town for many years and played chess for Goodwood Chess Club. We express our deepest condolences.
Aderito won the national title six titles and represented Angola at the Chess Olympiads, All African Games, African Individual Chess Championships and the World Cup and many other events. We last played against one another in Zambia at the 2005 African Individual Championships. He won that game as he was just too strong for me.
In 2010 he visited South Africa with his local chess club and ended second behind the Egyptians at the first African Chess Club Championship held in Cape Town. He then stayed at my house for a week after the event.
Aderito played chess all over the world. Whenever there was an event, he was there representing and leading his country and the continent. He was always friendly and never hesitated to analyse with you. He had a smile and of course, those dark glasses that he sometimes played in.
I realised today that I knew Aderito for 27 years. He was a constant in my life at all our events on the continent and all over the world. He was a strong player who could hold his own in top chess events and qualified for the World Cup which was in itself a remarkable feat. Our lives are so fleeting, and he has now ascended to the grand chessboard in the sky.
We in South Africa will remember him for his generosity, his humour, his friendliness, and his strong chess-playing ability. In 2008 he was the board one for Angola at the Zonal Championships and played David Gluckman twice. They played an exciting game in the last round as both players had all eight pawns left on the board at the end!
We are indeed all one family. Gens Una Sumus. We feel the loss today of Aderito not only for Angolan chess but also for African Chess.
We shall miss Aderito, and we thank God for his life.
Your brother in chess – Dr Lyndon Bouah.
Dr Lyndon Bouah is an advocate and was captain of the South African Open team during the 2018 Batumi Olympiad. He is also one of Africa’s most prolific chess writers.
