Chartered accountanting firm, Ram and McRae are the sponsors of the Guyana Chess Federation’s (GCF) National Open Chess Qualifiers, which began on Saturday at the Providence National Stadium, East Bank Demerara.
Candidate Master Taffin Khan, former National Champion, leads the way with 4 points, winning all his games against teenager Isa Bremner, veteran chess player Errol Tiwari, Ethan Lee and Justino DaSilva. Khan’s most challenging game so far was his fourth-round match against DaSilva, who had a distinct advantage against Khan with a pawn up. However, Khan’s mastery of the end-game, coupled with DaSilva’s time constraints, allowed Khan to create a passed-pawn and secure the win.
The tournament has attracted 40 players and is slated to take place over four days. The players are vying for the chance to qualify for the National Open Chess Championship to begin soon after.
Roberto Neto, another seasoned player, also has a perfect score after defeating teens Kaija Clement, Sahid Bahadur, Alex Benjamin, and long-time player Rashad Hussain. Noteworthy is 13-year-old Sachin Pitamber, currently in the third position with 3.5 points, gaining points after a walk-over in the first round, a draw with National Junior Champion Keron Sandiford, and victories against fellow teens Najeeb Mohamed and long-time player Saeed Ali.
Meanwhile Justino DaSilva, Ethan Lee, Gilbert Williams, Rashad Hussain, Alex Benjamin, and Errol Tiwari are all on three points.
Rounds five to eight of the Ram and McRae 2023 National Open Qualifiers will continue over the upcoming weekend at the same venue.
Chief Arbiter for the tournament is FIDE Certified Arbiter John Lee, assisted by FIDE Arbiter Anand Raghunauth and former Junior Champion Ricardo Narine. The top 12 boards are being live-streamed on view.livechesscloud.com.
In a release to the media, the Guyana Chess Federation noted that while this tourney makes way for the 2023 National Chess Champion, “the event is the first of eight tournaments which are part of the qualification system for the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in September 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. This qualification system, devised by the Guyana Chess Federation, is designed to be rigorous, fair, and transparent, ensuring that consistently high-performing chess players have the best chance to earn a spot on the Open and Women’s team”.
