Players and officials brought energy to national championships

John Lee as he monitored the live games during the 2022 National Chess Championships

Looking back at it now, from the vantage point of being a player myself, the 2022 National Chess Championships were energetic. There was a spirit of liveliness among the players and officials. The Open and women’s categories saw several champions: Taffin Khan, Wendell Meusa, Anthony Drayton, and Sasha Shariff, who had faced Olympiad competition previously.

However, Shariff’s competition came from Jessica Callender, who had won the National Qualifiers; Nellisha Johnson, who had faced Olympiad competition also; a strengthened Anaya Lall and the crafty Pooja Lam, among others. These competitions were contested by the very best chess players who were available in Guyana.