THE Guyana Chess Federation’s (GCF) National Senior Championships concluded last Wednesday with Candidate Master Taffin Khan securing a remarkable victory at the Ocean Spray Hotel.
The tense showdown unfolded between two of the sport’s top players, Khan and the seasoned master Loris Nathoo, who were tied at 7.5 points entering the final stage of the tournament.

In a three-game duel, the confrontation commenced with a coin toss conducted by Tournament Director and FIDE Arbiter Irshad Mohamad. The toss determined which side of the board the players would start the first game. Nathoo, having won the toss, chose the White Pieces, and both players were given a 20-minute time limit for each game.

The first round ended in a draw, with Khan clinching victory in the second round. The final battle concluded in a draw, but in a tense five-minute showdown, Khan secured 1.5 points, giving him a clear edge over Nathoo, who trailed by half a point. Ultimately, Candidate Master Khan accumulated the necessary two points to capture the title.

In the National Women’s Championship, awards were earned by Jessica Callender (1st place), Sasha Christina Shariff (2nd place), and Aniyah Couchman (3rd place). Prizes were also presented to the top 10 emerging Junior Nationals of the season.
The winners in the Junior National Season included Keron Sandiford, Kyle Couchman, Ethan Lee, Matthew Singh, Oluwadare Oyeyipo, Ricardo Narine, Ronan Lee, Nicholas Zhang, Alexander Zhang, and Kishan Puran.