REIGNING national Senior Chess Champion Taffin Khan with an almost perfect score, played unbeaten to win the senior category of the Malta Supreme One-Day Rapid Chess Tournament on Sunday April 7 at the UG Tain campus, Corentyne.

His junior counterpart, Ron Motilall, copped first in his category and in the process drew his match with Khan in the seventh and final round of the fast paced tournament that attracted 24 players.
Each player was allotted 20 minutes on the clock to score a win during each round. National Junior Champion Anthony Drayton made the bold decision to play in the senior category and gained second place. Berbician Kriskal Persaud was third.
Other top spots in the tournament were dominated by players who travelled from Georgetown. Among the juniors, Saeed Ali of Richard Ishmael Secondary won second place and Roberto Neto of Diamond Secondary came in third. Omar Britton Grant of Bishops High was adjudged the Best Under-16 Player while Joshua Seepersaud, originally from Betsy Ground, Canje was adjudged the Best Berbice Junior Player.
The point-standings after seven rounds read: Taffin Khan – 6 ½, Anthony Drayton – 5 ½ and Kriskal Persaud – 5. Ron Motilall and Saeed Ali scored 4 ½ points each, Roberto Neto, Joshua Seepersaud and Omar Britton Grant earned 4 points apiece.
The cash prizes and trophies were presented by Banks DIH representative Fawaz Harry.
Over $100,000 was plugged into the tournament by the sponsor. The six-digit figure represents the highest thus far provided by one entity into one-day competitions organized by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF).
The GCF extends its sincerest gratitude to Banks DIH and the UG administration for making the competition possible.