GUYANA women’s team triumphed 2.5 – 1.5 against the Fiji women’s after woman candidate master Maria varona-Thomas and Sheriffa Ali prevailed in their matches;while Candidate Master Taffin Khan picked up his fourth consecutive win as the Guyana men’s team went down 1.5 – 2.5,against the Macau men’s team when round 9 of the 42 Chess Olympiad concluded yesterday in Baku, Azerbaijan.Rebounding from her lost against Lorita Mwango in round eight, Varona-Thomas (1775), playing the black pieces, defeated Gloria Sukhu;and now has six points after nine matches. Varona-Thomas has thus far accumulated four wins and two draws,and suffering only two losses.
Ali, meanwhile, bagged her third win after eight matches;emerging victorious in her clash against Tanvi Prasad,which took her up to 4.5 points. Guyana’s Jessica Clementson (1233) ended with 1.5 points after she played to a draw against woman FIDE master, Hilda Vukikomoala (1455).
The team’s only lost came when Yolander Persaud (1151) went down against Cydel Terubea (1363), in her seventh match at the competition.
The match follows the ladies’ 0 – 4 loss against Zambia in round 8, and 2.5 -1.5 loss against Sudan in round 7.
In the men’s event,Guyana’s Taffin Khan’s (1877) victory over Hui Li was not enough to keep the team afloat,as CM Ronuel Greenidge (1723) and Roberto Neto (1561) experienced losses,and Su Haifeng (1800) finished with a draw against Herman Hou-Meng Ho. Greenidge and Neto lost to Seng Tou Ip and Seak Hin Ieong, respectively;both playing with the black pieces.
Khan now has five points; registering only two losses in the eight matches he has played so far. Haifeng has three points, CM Anthony Drayton has 1.5, while Greenidge and Neto each have 1 point.
The men prevailed 2.5-1.5 against Bermuda in round 7, but went out 1.5 – 3.5 against Barbados in round 8.