Given the current uneven situation in chess, it would be difficult for me to have a cup of tea and exchange pleasantries with the administrators of the board game in Guyana. as American novelist Henry James wrote in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Though it may be logical to consider having a beer instead of sipping a cup of tea, in keeping with the conformity of the times, and, appropriately, being Guyanese.
Before the qualifier began for the 2019 National Chess Championship, I had suggested that the circle of qualifiers, perhaps, can be expanded to 12 persons inclusive of the previous year’s national champion, instead of the eight who are earmarked.
Chess is pulsating with life in Berbice. The game is also played in Linden, to name two separate regions. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of play from the Linden newcomer in the qualifier for the 2019 National Championship. He played with energy but did not qualify for the final pick owing to the strength of his opposition.
Kriskal Persaud, a Berbician from Rose Hall, qualified for the final pick.
Perhaps the Guyana Chess Federation may consider allowing one player from Linden, one from Berbice and one from Essequibo to participate in the National Championship. Such an action would create a luxurious incentive for the participants and for the towns and regions they represent.
Chess is a relatively new game to Guyana. We weren’t brought up with chess as we were with cricket, football and athletics. Therefore, we must nurture the board game and provide incentives for the players who adore the game. If we don’t, players would fall by the wayside and talent will disappear. It is the obligation of the administrators of chess to correct evident imbalances.
We must expand the game of chess in Guyana. It is as vital as going to the Chess Olympiad. If we do not make efforts to expand, it would be a textbook definition of stifling the game. We cannot have that.
