VICE-president of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), Anand Raghunauth, said this week that the membership of the GCF has tripled in the last three months, due to the expansion of the Chess in Schools Programme.
The GCF executive member made the comment during the presentation ceremony for the winners of the National Under-12 Rapid Chess Championships, which was held on Sunday at the Grand Coastal Hotel.
This increase is not only growing the overall junior numbers but is seeing an increase in young female chess players, hence the inaugural female U12 championships two Saturdays ago.
“The federation has over 50 players in the beginners and the advanced beginners levels. We also have over 50 children set to begin learning the game, including 25 from Essequibo and two from Linden. We have also seen a significant increase in females and the proliferation of chess enthusiasts in the targeted schools for this initial phase.”
Stephen Francis is the point person in Linden and according to Raghunauth he is doing the legwork to get children interested in the game.
He said Francis has a history of working with youth development and was keen on getting the federation into the region.
“The federation is looking to spread the game to all the regions, with the help of people like Stephen Francis. The aim is to give all Guyanese students a chance to learn and play this beautiful game.”
The GCF vice-president also announced that systems are being streamlined to host the Junior National Qualifiers and Senior Blitz Championships in the coming months.
President of the GCF, Frankie Farley, said that with the improvement in technology, it is now easier to teach the game to hundreds of youths across the country and noted that GCF would continue to expand its numbers.
Meanwhile, DeSinco’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Alicia DeAbreu, expressed her gratitude to the parents of the players in the tournament, thanking them for their active encouragement and support. She also praised their initiative and forward-thinking approach in recognising the value of learning chess and all the benefits it brings to young minds.
DeSinco has also given its commitment to sponsor more chess tournaments in 2022.
At last Sunday’s presentation ceremony, the respective U12, U10 and U8 winners were presented with their prizes.
