It is my fervent hope as President of the Guyana Chess Association and as the Head of a Government committed to national excellence in sports, that Ajedrez will make a contribution in further popularizing chess, to illuminate the darkness and dispel the mysteries which in some cases still surround and engulf this great game, and be a source of instruction to the inexperienced, and of pleasure to the initiate. -Forbes Burnham, April 1975, at the launch of Ajedrez, the first and only local chess magazine.
Chess has an intellectual pedigree. It is fitting, therefore, that we compliment the memory of Forbes Burnham with a sparkling chess competition in which the finest chess minds of Guyana compete for honours. The Forbes Burnham Memorial Chess Tournament, a seven round swiss, began yesterday, and continues today at the Carifesta Sports Complex on Carifesta Avenue.
Each competitor gets an hour-and-a-half on his clock to complete the game. The popular swiss system type of tournament pits stronger and weaker players as opponents. Winners play winners of the previous round, and losers oppose losers. That way, as you win, it becomes difficult for you to continue winning, as you wrestle with players who boast higher ratings than yourself.
In 2007, chess made a glorious reappearance following a dormant period of more than a decade. A group of dedicated chess players banded themselves into a core group to establish a renewed chess association. 2015 represents the