FORMER national senior chess champion Wendell Meusa last weekend delivered a stunning blow to reigning national champion Taffin Khan, defeating him in a clash that lasted more than three hours in the Guyana Chess Federation/Vita Malt Plus 2013 national senior chess championships.

Playing at the Ocean Spray Hotel in Kitty, Khan, who drew his previous encounter with former junior national champion Anthony Drayton, saw the results of both matches severely denting his chances of retaining the championships, which is a telling indicator of loosening the grip on the title he has held for the past three years.
At the completion of three rounds last weekend, Meusa sits atop the table with the maximum three points, while Glenford Corlette and Errol Tiwari have two points each and they are followed by Drayton and Khan on one-and-a-half points each, while Roberto Neto and Davion Mars have scored one point to date.
Meanwhile, Drayton triumphed over Meusa and put a monkey’s wrench in his plans when the tournament continued last Wednesday evening, while Tiwari defeated Rashad Hussain, who entered the competition following the withdrawal of Neil Khan, making him the fourth junior player now competing in the senior championship.
The championships will conclude tomorrow with the final two rounds of action, following which the national champion will be crowned.