Classical chess will not lose its place anytime soon

Pooja Lam (right) receives her monetary prize from national player Anthony Drayton who officiated in this January’s Rapid Tournament which was hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation for juniors 20-years and under. Pooja, 14, was adjudged the Best Female in the tournament, and finished fifth in the overall competition

Traditionally, competitive chess has been played with specified time limits. When chess first appeared in India around the seventh century AD, measuring time was a critical part of the game. Even before the World Chess Federation (FIDE) was established on July 20, 1924, the system of hour-glass timing was used.

Chess time controls refer to how much time a player receives to complete a game. Each player has an equal amount of time. Recently, I would theorize about five to eight years ago, speed chess (rapid, blitz and bullet ) became immensely popular. For some of the young, the shift from 90 minutes plus to 10 minutes plus, is attractive. However, I have my doubts about whether one’s chess abilities will get further refined.