THE Guyana Chess Federation will be hosting two tournaments this weekend. For the first time in our chess history, GCF has organized the Guyana’s Female National Chess Championships. The Guyana Chess Federation will be hosting its first ever Women’s National Chess Championship. The event is slated to kick off this Saturday at the Guyana National Resource Center (Opposite Passport Office & Guyana Technical Institute).

This event will be played as a 6 round tournament with a time control of one hour sudden death with the top 5 finishers being eligible for the Guyana Female National Team to the World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia from September 22 to October 1 – 1st Oct, 2018.
As planned, this is the federation first step towards the development of Women in chess in Guyana. The federation will be aiming at increasing the total number of females who play chess in Guyana and providing them with the countless opportunities associated with the game.

Tournament favorite will be Guyana’s first FIDE Master and highest rated female WFM Maria Thomas who is vastly experienced and has been ramping with the top 5 players of Guyana for the last 5 years. Also, participating is Guyana’s only female Candidate Master CM Sheriffa Ali, who was part of the female National Team at the last World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. She will be battling FIDE Developmental Coach and local lawyer Yolander Persaud who was also part of the last female team in Baku. There will also be the more experience Shazeeda Rahim fighting for her place in the National Female Team.

However, young rising stars such as 12 years old Chelsea Juma of St. Stanislaus College and 14 years old Sasha Shariff. Sasha had been playing chess competitively so far this year playing in the National Juniors Qualifiers and qualifying for the Guyana National Junior Chess Championships. Both Juma and Shariff just returned for the 7th Carifta Chess Championships where Guyana was represented for the first time in their chess history and are determined to make their mark among the big girls.

Also, a keen eye must be kept for the Johnson’s sisters Nellisha and Waveney. Nellisha also participated in the National Juniors Qualifiers and qualifying for the Guyana National Junior Chess Championships and 7th Carifta Chess Championships and plays promising chess.
Other players to watch are Cassandra Khan, Sharara Gill and hopefully the return of the Clementson sisters Jessica & Julia.

While the women will be clashing, GCF will also host the Georgetown Chess Classics concurrently. This event will be organized for various regions across Guyana but begins in Georgetown. Top male players Anthony Dratyon, Taffin Khan, Loris Nathoo, Ronuel Greenidge are expected to participate as they prepare for the World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia. The Georgetown Chess Classics is set to bring some live actions on the chessboards since other players such as Davion Mars, Glenford Corlette, Chino Chung, Roberto Neto, Saeed Ali and Veteran Errol Tiwari will be looking to defeat the players of the elected national team.

Visitors and viewers are welcome. Registration fee is GYD $1000 and interested persons can contact Tournament Director Mr. Irshad Mohammed at 664-1650 or Tournament Assistant Anthony Drayton at 613 – 2083.

Rounds will begin at 10 am on both days and all games will be played in accordance to FIDE (World Chess Federation) rules and regulations.