Su among seven qualifiers to challenge Drayton

Former national junior champion Haifeng Su with six points was the winner of the Diamond Distillers Limited/Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) qualification tournament to identify the eight players to contest the national Closed junior championships which ended on Saturday at the Carifesta Sports Complex.

Davion Mars with five points occupied the second position while Roberto Neto on four and a half points was third.

Three players Saeed Ali, Omar Britton Grant and Sheriffa Ali occupied the next position with four points each while Rashad Hussain was sixth with three and a half points.  The seven players will join defending national junior champion Anthony Drayton, who has a FIDE rating of 1801 to contest for the title.

Anthony Drayton
Anthony Drayton

In the fourth round yesterday Su, who along with Britton Grant were on the maximum three points following last week end’s play, defeated Britton Grant to assume the lead solely.

Haifeng Su
Haifeng Su

Lone female player Sheriffa Ali received an extra medal for representing the distaff side.

According to a press release Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, at the presentation ceremony which followed the conclusion of the tournament, congratulated the players and challenged them to spread the game.

Dr. Anthony, the release stated, also reiterated his ministry’s support for the growth of chess and spoke of the importance of thinking which the game demands.