Former national women’s chess champion Sasha Shariff said that her recent participation at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) women’s chess championships in Puerto Rico was an enriching experience.
Shariff, FIDE rated 1263, ended in 15th place after securing three victories from a field which included Women Fide Masters, International Masters and Candidate Masters.
Shariff defeated Yorelis M. Febles in the fifth round, Gabriela Vera Perez (unranked), in round seven and Angelo Merino Vallecillo (1175) in the final round.
She also drew a bye in the fourth round.
“Despite the difficulties, participating in the tournament was an enriching experience,” Shariff stated in a release sent to the media. “I learnt a lot from observing and playing against top-level players,” she added. According to Shariff, she also acquired a deeper appreciation of positional chess and recognized that she needed to analyze positions much more deeply.
“The intense matches pushed me to analyze positions more deeply and make calculated moves. I discovered new strategies and techniques that I can incorporate into my future games. Each game brought a new opportunity to demonstrate my abilities and learn from any mistakes made,” she declared.
Shariff said that she wanted to thank the federation for its sponsorship and said that she hoped to see many more female participation at such international tournaments.
The Guyana Chess Federation stated in the release that it was pleased with Shariff’s participation at the nine round Swiss system tournament.
“The Guyana Chess Federation is happy with her performance and encourages her to continue training to ensure success and participation in upcoming International tournaments,” the release stated. Meanwhile the GCF said it is offering training sessions to chess players by coaches both locally and internationally.
According to the GCF, the country’s top female players are currently being coached by WGM Martha Fierro, who has committed to preparing them for qualification for the next Chess Olympiad in Hungary in September 2024. Training for the Olympiad for the Open team will commence very soon with the assistance of an international coach, the release stated.
