It is true that chess is considered an elitist game and only the great schools of a nation teach and play it. For years in Guyana, we have been battling this notion of disproportionateness, and we have made progress in popularising the game. Kind sponsors and the Sunday Stabroek have been helping us to do this. I hold to the belief that chess is for everybody.
This past weekend, 69 juniors battled for a place in the Junior Chess Qualifiers. The top ten finishers were chosen to compete in the Junior Championship. They are: Ethan Lee, Ricardo Narine, Keron Sandiford, Ronan Lee, Rajiv Lee, Sasha Shariff, Jessica Callendar, Matthew Singh, Kyle Couchman and Mayas Khan. I’m not surprised Ethan and Sasha placed first among the top ten juniors, but I’m befuddled that Pooja Lam did not qualify for the National Championship.
I followed Pooja and Sasha’s game live because I felt it was one of the more essential games of the championship. I had never witnessed Pooja play chess and she gave me the surprise of my life. Pooja Lam is going places! She immobilised both of Sasha’s bishops with some astute pawn manoeuvring, and locked the position. Sasha’s bishops became helpless but she managed to draw the game. I cannot remember if Pooja was short on time or why the draw came about. Perhaps Pooja couldn’t see a clear victory and she knew Sasha would defend the position stoutly. Anyhow, you both have the Grands Prix to look forward to. Great game girls!
Certainly, the Lee brothers, Ethan and Ronan, are about the strongest junior chess players in Guyana. I followed four of Ethan’s games and two of Ronan’s. Ethan takes his time and plays, and inevitably, he experiences time difficulties. But so far, he has not been adversely affected by the clock. Ethan played undefeated. Ronan is almost as accurate a player as Ethan. Both of their parents, John and Marcia Lee, are capable chess players. John is a senior arbiter of the Guyana Chess Federation and Marcia is the company secretary. Together, they make up the steel in the backbone of the GCF.
Chess game
White: Ethan Lee
Black: Kishan Puran
Event: 2022 Guyana National Junior Championships Qualifiers, Providence Stadium
Type of Game: Queen Pawn Opening
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bxf6 exf6 4. Nf3 d5 5. g3 Be7 6. Bg2 0-0 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Nbd2 Be6 9. a3 Qd7 10. Rc1 Bh3 11. c4 Bxg2 12. Kxg2 Nd8 13. cxd5 Rc8 14. e4 f5 15. Ne5 Qb5 16. Qb3 Qxb3 17. Nxb3 fxe4 18. Rfe1 f5 19.Ng6 Rf7 20. f3 Bg5 21. Rc2 exf3+ 22. Kxf3 Rd7 23. h4 Bf6 24. Rce2 Kf7. 25 h5 Bg5 26. Nh8+ Kf6 27. Re6+ Nxe6 28. Rxe6 mate. 1-0.
