National junior chess champion Keron Sandiford made a bold statement two Thursday nights ago when he won the first Century 21 Grand Prix tournament of 2024. All through the tournament Sandiford was in a buoyant mood even as he opposed senior participants. Sandiford played unbeaten.
So did Shazeeda Rahim, winner of the Women’s category of the tournament. Rahim’s result was sensational, taking into consideration she won eight of eight games, including a victory over the 2023 national chess champion. I remember Rahim as a leading light of women’s chess, but then she disappeared from the game to concentrate on her academic studies. Now she is back and lifting the standard of women’s chess in Guyana.
