Following a lacklustre 2015, chess is off to a great start this year. Each January, Trophy Stall’s Owner/Managing Director Ramesh Sunich sponsors a classical chess tournament which usually attracts the nation’s finest players. At the conclusion of that competition, President of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) Irshad Mohammed announced that a Mashramani Chess Tournament would be held to complement the Trophy Stall event.
Beckoning players to formally battle each other over the chessboard within a four-week span is unprecedented. However, when you consider the non-activity of the past two years, it is good news. The destiny of local chess will rest on the kind of action the federation takes in these early days to reassure all, especially the young disciples of the mysterious board game, of the GCF’s purpose, its status quo, and the manner in which it intends to make hay. Regular tournaments, in addition to careful study of the game, would allow us to share in the fruits of stardom in international chess.
Former national junior and senior chess champion of Guyana Taffin Khan, played flawlessly to seize top honours in the Trophy Stall tournament. He overcame challenges from the leading chess players of the day, Wendell Meusa and
