-Best Beginner Trophy also up for grabs

THE Guyana Women in Chess Community (GWICC) under the umbrella of the Guyana Chess Federation, has organised the inaugural Queenside Rapid Tournament. The event will take place (tomorrow) Saturday, October 12, 2024.

This event, reserved for women and girls, will encourage beginners and unrated female players to compete in the hope of expanding the pool of women and girls playing competitive chess. There will be nine rounds of games with durations of 15 minutes + 5 seconds increments per round. Pinnacle Business Services Inc. and Jade’s Wok are the event’s sponsors.

The venue for the Queenside Rapid Tournament will be the David Rose Special School, with the first round kicking off at 09:00 hours. The top five female participants with the most points will receive trophies, and the top three players will win prizes totalling $50,000. The GCF is also looking out for the best talent to emerge among the beginners, with a special trophy for the winner of that category. Prizes for the best girl, best woman and youngest player will also be awarded.

The Women in Chess Community has been eagerly anticipating this tournament. Over the past two years, the GWICC has hosted its annual Queenside Chess Camp, a programme designed to inspire more girls and women to embrace the game of chess and strengthen their community. These camps attract women and girls of all ages and skill levels, fostering friendships and camaraderie among participants.

Thanks to the GWICC, female participation in chess has surged, with 25% of national competitors now being girls. This heartening trend challenges the traditionally male-dominated sport in Guyana. The GCF has strong female representation on its National teams, and they have represented Guyana both regionally and internationally with exceptional results.

The Guyana Chess Federation wishes to thank the administrators of the David Rose Special School for graciously providing the venue for the tournament. The GCF and the GWICC are grateful to their generous sponsors, Jade’s Wok and Pinnacle Business Services, which have been long-time sponsors of the GCF.