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.
