National champion Kriskal Persaud is among three persons who are on the maximum three points as the first round of the Keishar’s Easter Open Chess Tournament got underway yesterday. Denis Dillon and Omar Sharryf are the other two players who have ended the first round on three points.

The Berbice-based Persaud was under tremendous pressure from 2008 Junior Champion Taffin Khan but won an admirable contest that went down to the endgame.

In the game, according to Tournament Director Irshad Mohamed, Persaud proved his mettle after being pushed by Khan. Persaud, who had a pass pawn on the seventh rank (one away from a piece of the player’s choice), managed to out manoeuvre the youngster who had a single pawn advantage. At the turning point, Khan had six pawns and a knight as opposed to Persaud’s Queen and five pawns.

The twenty strong seniors’ field, which took to the board yesterday, saw President of the Guyana Chess Federation Errol Tiwari taking a pounding in the first two rounds, registering no points.

In the junior category, which saw some thirteen players in action, Nicholas Stepheney and Kana Khan managed to separate themselves from a tight group, ending with the possible three games out of three. Tied for third position were four players, Khalid Gajraj, Rashed Hussain, Sham Khan and Keron Simon who all ended on two points apiece.

The competition, which does not have liquid cash prizes on offer, has more than a hundred thousand dollars in gift certificates and trophies being put up by the sponsors Keishar’s.

The prizes range from the top three finishers in the senior and junior category as well as the best newcomer and best female finisher.

The competition continues on Wednesday at 17:00 hours when the fourth of eight rounds gets underway at the company’s sports club at Hadfield Street. The fifth round will be played on Saturday at 11:00 hours, while the final three rounds will get underway at 10:00 hours on Sunday April 12.