By Yonalla Dalrymple
This year’s fifth annual national schools chess championships is expected to bring to an end the activities of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF). The two-day tournament will see schools from across Guyana competing in the championships which will get underway from 10am this morning at the
Carifesta Sports Complex, Carifesta Avenue.
The defending champion team is Queen’s College and they will be tested by
schools from Georgetown, East and West Demerara, Berbice, Linden and Bartica.
President of the GCF, Shiv Nandalall, said he expects a great turn out as there has been an increase in the number of students getting involved with the sport this year. This year’s tournament will see play in the team and individual categories.
The tournament will be sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and Director of Sport, Neil Kumar has given his unequivocal support to the federation for undertaking to co-ordinate the tournament. “We appreciate the work of the federation and they have come a long way since the resuscitation of the game. It is one of the growing sports in the country and the federation has our unflinching support,” Kumar declared.
Kumar last week handed over a cheque of an undisclosed amount for sponsorship of the championship to the local body.
Registration will begin at 9am and participants must be dressed in their school uniforms during both days of the event.
Participation is free and players with chess sets from their respective schools are encouraged to bring them along.