Chess with Errol

May the best school win

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We are not expecting chess games which feature deep and inventive play from those schoolchildren who have converged in Georgetown for the National Schools Chess Championship.  In time, our games will get stronger and perhaps the best quality games coming out of Guyana would come from the schools.

In this flashback photo of December 2008, students from various schools are seen participating in the National Schools Chess Championship. In this year’s edition of the championship, the number of registrants and their schools have doubled. Bartica, for example, will be participating for the first time. Today marks the second and final day of the championship.
In this flashback photo of December 2008, students from various schools are seen participating in the National Schools Chess Championship. In this year’s edition of the championship, the number of registrants and their schools have doubled. Bartica, for example, will be participating for the first time. Today marks the second and final day of the championship.

Schools from across Guyana are currently participating in the National Schools Chess Championship at the Carifesta Sports Complex. The Guyana Chess Federation has had to limit the number of participants to 100 to allow for maximum school participation. Nine schools from Berbice are fielding teams.

The largest contingent is from Region Four, but schools with a large number of players like Queen’s College and Marian Academy, are only allowed to field two teams for the championship.

West Demerara Secondary, St Stanislaus College, Queen’s College and McKenzie High are among the favourites to win the championship. In last year’s tournament, there was an individual category only, and no teams. Crystal Khan from Stewartville Secondary, and Khalid Gajraj from Marian Academy won the beginners and intermediate categories respectively.

At last Sunday’s day of interaction for sports that was held at Port Mourant, chess was included in the programme of activities for the first time. Junior chess players from Berbice were given an opportunity to participate in a tournament organised by the Guyana Chess Federation and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Steve Long of New Amsterdam emerged victorious in the tournament, while Wayne de France of Belvedere placed second among 26 participants. In photo participants concentrate on their games during the tournament.
At last Sunday’s day of interaction for sports that was held at Port Mourant, chess was included in the programme of activities for the first time. Junior chess players from Berbice were given an opportunity to participate in a tournament organised by the Guyana Chess Federation and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Steve Long of New Amsterdam emerged victorious in the tournament, while Wayne de France of Belvedere placed second among 26 participants. In photo participants concentrate on their games during the tournament.

This year, there is a ‘team’ category consisting of four players per team from the same school, and the ‘individual’ category, where one player can represent his or her school.

The federation wishes to congratulate the out-of-town participants for participating. Chess is looking to the future. The internet has made it possible for players in the rural areas to play regularly and spread the game. The Schools Championship provides an opportunity for students to network, develop personal contacts and play with each other via the internet. Congratulations to all and may the best school win.

Gelfand v Jakovenko

The FIDE World Chess Cup concludes on Tuesday in Khanty—Mansiysk. Israel’s Boris Gelfand and Russia’s Ruslan Ponomariov are contesting the finals of the World Cup. Here is Gelfand’s win over Dmitry Jakovenko.

Gelfand, Boris – Jakovenko, Dmitry
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (5.4), 5.12.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Rc1 c6 8.e3 Qa5 9.Bd3 Ne4 10.0-0 Nxg5 11.Nxg5 Nf6 12.Qc2 h6 13.Nf3 Bd6 14.h3 0-0 15.Ne5 c5 16.Nb5 Bxe5 17.dxe5 Nd7 18.f4 c4 19.Bh7+ Kh8 20.Nd6 Nc5 21.Rcd1 b6 22.Rxd5 Ba6 23.Be4 Rab8 24.a3 c3

20091213graphThe final onslaught is attractive.  25.b4 Qxa3 26.bxc5 Bxf1 27.Kxf1 bxc5 28.Rd1 Qb2 29.Rc1 a5 30.Bd5  black resigns! 1-0.

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