FIFTH Grade Student at the Orealla Primary School , Region 6 (East Berbice /Corentyne)  Nellisha Johnson emerged overall winner at the Orealla Village Chess tournament  recently organised by  members of the Guyana Chess Federation,  Mr. Rai Sharma . Johnson captured the trophy for being the top female player and then went on to beat the top male player to become the overall winner.
She won both trophies donated by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.
The game of Chess was introduced to residents of Orealla by  Sharma in collaboration with  Berbice Chess enthusiast Mr. Krishnanand Raghunandan in April this  year.
Sharma trained a total of fifty persons in the village including adults in the game and the tournament was launched by Minister of Amerindian Affairs Ms Pauline Sukhai shortly after.
Johnson won out of a field of thirty four players, Sharma disclosed.
Winners of the competition among the males were Fifth Former Orealla Primary School Top, Kelvin Dick first place, Andre Henry Fifth Former Second Place and Stewart Peneux teacher at the school, third place.
Ceneca Daw, Third former won second place among female players after losing a play-off to Johnson.
Marlena Herman won third place among the female players.
Coach Sharma said that the Orealla players  have shown a great aptitude for the game.
“The competition of itself created a great deal of interest in Chess in Orealla and I am now working with them to help them improve their game.”
Sharma is currently holding a one week workshop in Chess at the National Library in Georgetown and some of the Orealla players are participating and benefiting from the exposure.
The players are eyeing the Berbice Inter-Schools Chess Competition to be held in October as a forum to make their mark.
Sharma observed also that the  third annual international chess tournament for the UMADA Cup  is to be held in Suriname later this year and he is working to ensure that a contingent from Orealla attend and participate, and gain from  the exposure.
“Suriname is just next door to Orealla. We won’t have to catch a plane, ” he said.
UMADA,  an Arawak word meaning friend,  is a 9 round Swiss chess tournament  sponsored for players in the Region by President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE)  His Excellency  Kirsan Ilyumzhinov ,who is also the first  president of the  Russian Republic of Kalmykia.
The inaugural UMADA Cup international tournament was held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010.