David Khan came from behind to snatch victory out of the grasp of Learie Webster when the Demerara Distillers Limited Topco Juices national chess championships qualifying tournament ended on Sunday at the Keishar’s Sports Club on Hadfield Street.
According to a press release, Khan edged out Webster on the Sonneborn-Berger tiebreaker system to secure his first win of the year. Both players had ended the nine round Swiss system competition on seven points, but, according to the release, “Khan had the better average on the tiebreaker system.”
But former Tournament Director Roy Sharma last night argued that Webster should have won the tournament.
Sharma who served as Tournament Director of the Guyana Chess Federation for three years under the presidency of the late Forbes Burnham said that since Khan and Webster were the only players involved in the tie-break and since Webster had beaten Khan in their head-to-head clash then Webster should have been declared the winner.
“If the two tied players played each other and one of them won, then he finishes higher on the tie-break,” Sharma argued.
However, Tournament Director Irshad Mohammed differed.
Mohammed told Stabroek Sport last night that he used the Swiss Master programme and the tie-break system “Progress” in accordance with FIDE’s rules.
Webster led for the entire tournament suffering his only defeat in his final round clash against veteran player and president of the Guyana Chess Federation Errol Tiwari to create a slight opening which Khan seized with a final round victory over the tough Shiv Nandalall.
Tiwari ended third in one of his better tournaments in recent times.
The players who have qualified for the National Chess Championship are; David Khan, Webster, Tiwari, Kriskal Persaud, reigning national junior champion Ron Motilall, Frankie Farley and Taffin Khan.
The seven players will challenge the National Senior Champion Wendell Meusa in a double round robin tournament, which is scheduled to start in two weeks’ time.
Suhai Feng who played excellently in the first half of the tournament, suffered back-to-back losses to David Khan and Motilall and failed to make the cut making Motilall is only junior player to qualify.
The final points standings read; Khan and Webster seven points, Tiwari six and a half, Persaud and Motilall, six points each, Farley five and a half points, Taffin Khan, Nandalall, Loris Nathoo, Ryan Singh, Feng, Glenford Corlette and Carlos Petterson on five points apiece. Raan Motilall four and a half points, Alexander Duncan and Daryll Calistro four points and Michael Pereira, Videsh Shameer and Nowrattan Persaud, three and a half points.
