Chess is enjoying an unprecedented boom in the capital city much of it because there was open criticism over the manner in which the 2016 Guyana Olympiad chess team was chosen. The chess column had advocated for a nomination tournament to be held to ensure transparency and that such a tournament should be advertised with enough time to allow interested persons to participate meaningfully. There was no such qualification tournament. The argument that the World Chess Federation required the list of participants at a moment’s notice is largely filled with holes. Research has shown the argument in question to be ridiculously, and conveniently, overstated.
The seven-round Andrew Arts Memorial Chess Tournament occurred over two successive weekends, was FIDE-rated, and followed the Mike’s Pharmacy Jubilee one day competition. Taffin Khan demonstrated his ability to undertake challenges and persevered to win the event. His foremost competition came from the mind of Haifeng Su, who has certified himself as an improved player.
His performance at this year’s chess Olympiad should be more rewarding than in 2014, when the previous Olympiad was conducted. Su did not lose a game during his seven encounters and drew with Khan. Anthony Drayton placed third with a disappointing performance after emerging victorious in the
