National chess champion to be crowned today

St Stanislaus student Chelsea Juma, the only woman participant in the qualifier for the 2019 National Championship, faces Shiv Nandalall, a former national chess player and a past president of the Guyana Chess Federation. Nandalalll disappeared from chess in 2012 but is now back. Juma, meanwhile, is fine-tuning her tactics and strategies for participation in the Caribbean Junior Chess Championship to be held in Curacao this month. (Photo: Irshad Mohammed)
St Stanislaus student Chelsea Juma, the only woman participant in the qualifier for the 2019 National Championship, faces Shiv Nandalall, a former national chess player and a past president of the Guyana Chess Federation. Nandalalll disappeared from chess in 2012 but is now back. Juma, meanwhile, is fine-tuning her tactics and strategies for participation in the Caribbean Junior Chess Championship to be held in Curacao this month. (Photo: Irshad Mohammed)

The third round of the qualifier for the 2019 National Chess Championship has been completed and Taffin Khan and Davion Mars are the two leaders of the competition. They both have accumulated the maximum three points and are followed closely by Loris Nathoo, Kriskal Persaud and Saeed Ali with 2½ points each.

The competition’s favourite to win, Anthony Drayton, dropped a game to Saeed Ali and now stands at two points. Glenford Corlette, another favourite, failed to turn up for his game last Sunday afternoon and therefore lost a point.

Georgetown clashes with Rose Hall! Loris Nathoo (left) and Berbician Kriskal Persaud met in the qualifier for the National Chess Championships recently. The anticipated game ended in a draw. Persaud was a previous National Junior and Senior chess champion. He travelled each playing day from Rose Hall Town and was sponsored by Berbice businessman A Ally and Sons. After three rounds of the 7-round competition, Nathoo and Persaud are tied on 2½ points each. (A win = 1 point; a draw = ½ point; a loss = 0 point) (Photo: Irshad Mohammed)

Seven persons will join Wendell Meusa, last year’s national champion, in the final. The winner will be crowned national chess champion of Guyana. The competition concludes today.