Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has made “promising agreements” with the federations of Uruguay, Costa Rica and Barbados to provide mutual support and assistance, according to information from the local federation.

The relationships between the Western Hemisphere nations were reached during a recent meeting organised by the planning and development committee for world body FIDE and hosted by the Continental Chess Association (CCA) in Mexico City, Mexico.

Vice-president of GCF, Anand Raghunauth, who attended the meeting was able to secure an in-person meeting with FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich, while he was also able to interact with other biggest decision-makers in the game.

A release from the federation noted that “The GCF presented its ambitions and was able to forge relationships to better prepare its players for the future”.
The release noted that the first joint project will assist Guyanese chess players to acquire FIDE ratings, which is the first step on the journey to gaining international titles like FIDE Master and Grand Master.

“The project will consist of staging hybrid chess tournaments to be recognised by FIDE and therefore qualifying players to earn rating points.”
Hybrid tournaments are structured so that players from each country are seated in a single location in their home jurisdictions, and playing against others located similarly in their own countries. Each location will be supervised by FIDE-certified arbiters, who will be in constant communication with each other throughout the tournament, to resolve issues and to ensure fair play.

“This opportunity is important for the long-term and sustainable development of chess within the country. The exposure will ensure we create a larger pool of rated players, hence the natural progress towards titles,” the release noted.

Raghunauth told Chronicle Sport yesterday that the planned tournaments will happen within six months.

The local federation noted that invitational tournaments with close collaboration with the larger federations in the region, will influence the GCF’s strategic approach to development, which will have an immediate impact on players’ development as their goals become more defined, concrete and achievable.

“The creation of invitational tournaments; with close collaboration with the larger federations in the region .will influence our strategic approach to development. This approach will have an immediate impact on player development as their goals become more defined, concrete and achievable.”

Along with Dvorkovich, other high-ranking FIDE officials and delegations from over two dozen federations from North, Central and South America were at the meeting.