Chess

Errol Tiwari

It was fighting chess throughout the National Qualification Tournament to determine the participants for the National Championships. It was a tournament of substance with sprinkles of surprises here and there. We can now, with certainty, look forward to some fine games in the nationals by the qualifiers.

At the recent National Qualification Chess Tournament, Crystal Khan (R) was the only female to qualify for the National Chess Championships. She will play in the Junior category of the championships. By being one of the top six finishers of the tournament among the Juniors, Crystal also qualified to represent Guyana at the Inter-Guiana Games to be held in Paramaribo next weekend. Crystal is the daughter of veteran chess player David Khan, and sister of Taffin Khan, who will play top board for Guyana in the triangular team tournament (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) in Parimaribo. In photo, Crystal ponders her move in her game with Julia Clemensen.

The nationals may well be the most competitive in spirit and actual play which we have seen since the year began. For one, the competitors are the cream of our tiny chess-playing nation. Among the juniors, we will soon know the quality of our games when we face Suriname and French Guiana at the Inter-Guiana Games.

Because we have not faced international competition for over two decades, chess players, administrators, enthusiasts and Guyanese generally, are eagerly anticipating the results of these games.

National chess champion Kriskal Persaud was not required to participate in the qualification tournament and therefore is not familiar with the new contingent who are assembled to take his title from him. Kriskal has met Webster over the board previously, played Meusa once, knows Greenidge and Shariff, has a fair idea who Thompson is, and so on. But these players are not the same ones that Kriskal knew.

They have been training with the computer and have improved the level of their play.

The standard that he once knew is not the standard he will experience.

At the recent National Qualification Chess Tournament, Crystal Khan (R) was the only female to qualify for the National Chess Championships. She will play in the Junior category of the championships. By being one of the top six finishers of the tournament among the Juniors, Crystal also qualified to represent Guyana at the Inter-Guiana Games to be held in Paramaribo next weekend. Crystal is the daughter of veteran chess player David Khan, and sister of Taffin Khan, who will play top board for Guyana in the triangular team tournament (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) in Parimaribo. In photo, Crystal ponders her move in her game with Julia Clemensen.

But we will wait and see. Good luck to our juniors and their coach Irshad Mohamed, and we wish them a successful international tournament.