The sport of chess made a couple of tentative steps forward in 2010 with the formation of a regional committee, the hosting of a Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) rated tournament and the staging of the national senior and junior championships among the positives.
As expected, the GCF continued to make steady strides towards the goal of once again competing at the chess Olympiads following the decision by FIDE to wave the outstanding dues owed for over two decades.
In July, the GCF staged its (FIDE) rating tournament aimed at affording local players the opportunity to play against FIDE ranked chess players in an effort to acquire FIDE ratings.
Six local players competed against four foreign players in a Swiss system round robin tournament over nine rounds which was won by Martinque’s Karl Rapon who played unbeaten.
The other foreign players were Romario Sanches of Suriname, Michael Barker of Barbados and Trinidad’s Hayden Lee.
The six local players who eventually did receive FIDE ratings were Taffin Khan (1727) Shiv Nandalall (1715), Ronuel Greenidge (1630), Loris Nathoo (1630) Ryan Singh (1456) and David Khan (1386). The only other Guyanese player rated by FIDE is Wendell Meusa who is the highest rated local player with a 1928 rating acquired whilst campaigning in Barbados.
Following the July tournament, Allan Herbert, Chairman of FIDE’s CADEC commission, suggested that within the next four years, Guyana could reclaim its place on the international chess scene.
“Back in the late ‘70’s and early `80’s Guyana was the best in chess in the Caribbean. They had the strongest players, and now they have to virtually start over from scratch,” Herbert told this newspaper.
“But I think that within the next four years Guyana should be able to re-establish itself to where it was before its inactivity,” he added.
At the same time the FIDE rated tournament was being held in Guyana, president of the GCF, Errol Tiwari, was participating in another FIDE-rated tournament.
Tiwari was one of 27 participants from 16 countries who took part in the Nassau Sub Zonal Qualifiers.
He was the only unrated player in the event which was won by Jamaica’s Jomo Pitterson and ended in 24th position with three points.
Guyana was also represented at the Umada Cup tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.
The August 14-18 tournament saw Guyana represented by Taffin Khan who ended in 13th place in the Challenger section.
Khan was one of eight players who ended on six points in the tournament which was won by Suriname’s Sanches.
President of FIDE Kirsan Ilyumzhinov attended the UMADA Cup.
Following the Nassau Sub Zonal the Guyana, Jamaica, Netherland Antilles and Suriname chess federations signed an agreement paving the way for the formation of a Caribbean Chess Union a body aimed at representing the region.
Chess was also played locally when the Bank of Guyana hosted the eighth annual intra regional games and later in the year when the annual Inter-Guiana games was held.
The GCFalso staged the Closed junior and senior national championships which were won by Ron Motilall and Taffin Khan.
Motilall defeated defending champion Cecil Cox in a tie break series while Khan won against former two-time champion Kriskal Persaud in another tiebreak series.
The GCF effectively checkmated defending senior champion Meusa from participating in the tournament when it belatedly announced that he had been banned for six months for making certain allegations which he was unable to prove.
Meusa told this newspaper that he was not notified in writing of the date of the commencement and duration of the ban.
A subsequent meeting with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony failed to come off.
Meusa had raised concerns over what he termed the “violation of rules by the GCF.”
He had alleged that there was smoking and drinking during tournament games, discussions of games while games were in progress, crowding of persons around games while games are being played, misuse or abuse of power and authority by executive members and also unfair selections of draws.
The GCF subsequently wrote Meusa requesting that he provide evidence of the allegations or apologise. Meusa refused to apologise which led to his six months ban.
Tiwari said Meusa was banned for making unsubstantiated allegations against the GCF and for being reluctant to apologise to the federation
.
Towards the end of the year the GCF staged the annual schools Chess championships which were well attended.
The GCF also failed to attend this year’s FIDE congress where Ilyumzhinov defeated challenger Anatoly Karpov in a battle for the presidency.
