A general meeting to re-establish the Guyana Chess Federation will be held on Monday, February 18, 2008 from 6 pm at the Ocean Spray Hotel, Vlissengen Road. The meeting has been organised by the Interim Steering Committee for the Development of Chess and will be held under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Persons are invited to become members of the current Interim Steering Committee, and can do so by contacting Mr Irshad Mohamed on tel 664-1650. Only financial members of the interim body shall be eligible to vote at the meeting.
There is an urgent need for the federation to be re-established, so that Guyana can once more be a part of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and join 161 other nations under one umbrella. By becoming a member of FIDE, we can participate in internationally-rated tournaments and play chess at the Olympiads. Guyana would also qualify for a number of benefits from FIDE which other countries enjoy.
Meanwhile, in addition to teaching the game in schools, the Interim Steering Com-mittee is currently examining the possibility of teaching chess on television, so that we can reach the remote areas of Guyana, and arouse the curiousity of persons who have not had the opportunity to become acquainted with the game. The committee is also thinking of having a chess trainer to visit schools in Region Four as a start to monitor the progress of kids as they learn and play the game.
A schools’ chess competition is planned for the last quarter of the year, thereby giving kids and youths enough time to learn, understand and eventually play the game at a serious competitive level. At the same time, Minister Frank Anthony is working to bring a Russian grandmaster to Guyana this year to train senior players, and identify talent among our younger practitioners of the game.
Persons are asked to note they have until Friday, February 15, 2008 to become members of the Interim Steering Committee to allow them to participate in the formation of a new Guyana Chess Federation. Anand v Radjabov World chess champion Viswanathan Anand lost his first game of the year to teenager Teimour Radjabov at the prestigious invitational Corus Tourna-ment in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, last month. Anand gave up the exchange but could not hold the fort as his opponent attacked relentlessly. Anand found himself in trouble from the opening in the fierce Queen Pawn game. Radjabov,T – Anand,V Corus, Wijk aan Zee (1), 12.1.08 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Ne5 Bg7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.Bd6 a6 14.Re1 Bf8N 15.Bg3 Bg7 16.Bd6 Bf8 17.Bxf8 Rxf8 18.b3 b4 19.Na4 c3 20.a3 a5 21.d5 Qe7 22.d6 Qf6 23.e5 Qf4 24.Bd3 bxa3! This isn’t a very nice position for Black but the move keeps Black’s chances going. 25.Qe2 Qd2 26.Rxa3 Qxe2 27.Rxe2 g4 28.Nxc3 Rg8 29.Ne4 Kd8 30.Nd2 c5 31.Bb5 Bd5 32.Nc4 Rg5 33.Rea2 Nxe5 34.Nb6 Rb8 35.Rxa5 Be4 36.Ra7 f6 37.R2a6 Rg8 38.Rc7 Rf8 39.Rxc5 Rf7 40.d7 Nxd7 Anand has never been timid about giving up the exchange. Here he seems to have reasonable drawing chances but he is systematically ground down. 41.Nxd7 Rxd7 42.Bxd7 Kxd7 43.Rc3 f5 44.Ra7+ Kd6 45.Rh7 Bd5 46.Rxh6 Bxb3 47.h3 gxh3 48.Rhxh3 Bd5 49.Rc2 Ke5 50.f3 Kf6 51.Kf2 Rb4 52.Re2 Kg6 53.Kg3 Ra4 54.Rh4 Ra7 55.Rb2 Kf6 56.Rhb4 Ke5 57.Re2+ Kf6 58.Rd2 Ke5 59.Re2+ Kf6 60.Kf4 Ra3 61.Rd2 Ra5 62.Re2 Ra3 63.Kg3 Ra8 64.Rc2 Ke5 65.Rh4 Rg8+ 66.Kh2 Ra8 67.Re2+ Kf6 68.f4 Ke7 69.Rh7+ Kd6 70.Kg3 Rg8+ 71.Kh3 Rg4 72.g3 Rg8 73.Rd2 Rc8 74.Kh4 Rc3 75.Rg7 Ra3 76.Rc2 Bc6 77.Rc1 Rb3 78.Rg1 Bd5 79.Kg5 Kc5 80.Kf6 Kd4 81.Re1 Rb6 82.Rd7 Rc6 83.Ke7 Ra6 84.Rd6 Ra7+ 85.Kf6 Black Resigns! 1-0.
