We need chess tournaments in 2016

In chess we play the same game over and over again. We are constantly experimenting. Each game leads to the next. Following a result in a game, we rehash and analyze the in-game possibilities of what might have been had we played this, or that. Herein lies the magnificence of the rich ancient game. Only a chess player can comprehend the satisfaction to be obtained from participation in a chess competition. Each day, therefore, that the local chess federation delays the organization of tournaments, players are deprived of the joy they feel from playing chess.

But why should players await the decision of the federation to re-introduce chess tournaments to the public at large? It is because the federation possesses the required equipment with which to host a modern and useful chess tournament, most of which was obtained from the World Chess Federation, the governing body of world chess. In 2007 when chess was re-energized, it was DDL’s Loris Nathoo who made chess tournaments a possibility. He purchased a fair number of chess clocks in Miami and donated same to the interim body that administered the affairs of the federation. Eureka! Chess tournaments once again become a reality and entered into the consciousness of our nation. In 2007, Guyana’s membership of the WCF had lapsed, and therefore she was not eligible to receive equipment for countrywide use. The Nathoo clocks became obsolete with the striking new inventions. Those digital clocks were eventually replaced by the Fischer-type, a modern version which permits the addition of vital seconds to the timing of the game.

A footnote should be mentioned here in relation to the controversial American grandmaster and world chess champion Bobby Fischer. Fischer envisaged the type of digital clock that is in use today, replacing the analog clock way back in the 1970s. Disappointingly, people did not buy into his idea. Such was the genius of Bobby Fischer.

We have arrived at a situation where it would be meaningful for the federation to issue a public statement to assure members that something, anything, is happening, and we are to be led out of the darkness and into the light of chess promise. Members and the wider public would be motivated. It could be done. Only when you found your house upon a rock at home can you venture forth to other lands to create some history. I am convinced Guyana contains the talent which we seek. Most of this talent in chess we have not as yet discovered, but a strong federation will assist us to find it. Consider this fact: Following an absence of 34 years, Guyana attended the 2014 chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway. We returned with the certification of two Candidate Masters in the form of Lodge’s Anthony Drayton and the University of Guyana’s Ronuel Greenidge. And perhaps those two were not the best we had to offer. The selection process was carried out in a shroud of secrecy. A tournament was never held during 2014 to finalize our entrants for the Olympiad. Of course Drayton was the national chess champion and I have no doubt he would have qualified for the Olympiad. But the underlying principle is that everyone should be allowed the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities.

Internationally, the January 2016 chess ratings have been announced. World champion Magnus Carlsen continues to hold the number one position with an awesome lead of some 40 points. Locking into the second spot is former Russian world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik. Kramnik, it would be recalled, dethroned Garry Kasparov as world champion in London, 2000. The ten highest ranked chess players on the planet are as follows:

Name                       Federation       Rating       Date of Birth

1. Magnus Carlsen.                 Norway            2844             1990
2. Vladimir Kramnik              Russia              2801             1975
3. Anish Giri                       Netherlands         2798             1994
4. Levon Aronian                  Armenia             2792             1982
5. Fabiano Caruana                 USA                2787              1992
6. Hikaru Nakamura               USA                2787              1987
7. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  France             2785              1990
8. Viswanathan Anand           India               2784              1969
9. Veselin Topalov                 Bulgaria           2780              1975
10. Wesley So                             USA

    Chess games
    The following games were played at the Hastings Chess Congress from December 25, 2015-January 5,2016 at Hastings, England . The co-winners were grandmasters Jahongiv Vahikdov and Aleksander Mista.

    White: Francis Rayner
    Black: Timothy Spanton

    1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. Bd2 Ne7 6. dxc5 Nbc6 7. Qg4 Ng6 8. Nf3 Bxc5 9. Bd3 Nb4 10. O-O Nxd3 11. cxd3 Bd7 12. d4 Be7 13. Bg5 f6 14. exf6 gxf6 15. Bh6 Kf7 16. Rfe1 Bf8 17. Bxf8 h5 18. Qg3 Rxf8 19. Re3 Rc8 20. Rae1 Rg8 21. Nh4 Ne5 22. Qf4 Ng6 23. Nxg6 Rxg6 24. Rg3 Qc7 25. Qh4 Rh6 26. h3 Qd6 27. Ree3 Rc4 28. b3 Rc8 29. Ref3 Rch8 30. Rf4 Qe7 31. Re3 f5 32. Qxe7+ Kxe7 33. Rxf5 Rg6 34. Nxd5+ Kd6 35. Rf6 Rhg8 36. Rxg6 Rxg6 37. Nf4 1-0.

    White: Chino C Atako
    Black: Matthew R Wilson

    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. f4 Bc5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. Nc3 b5 8. Be3 Qc7 9. Qf3 Bb7 10. Bd3 Nf6 11. Qg3 O-O 12. e5 Nh5 13. Qh3 g6 14. O-O-O Ng7 15. Ne4 Bxe4 16. Bxe4 Nc6 17. Kb1 Rac8 18. g4 d6 19. exd6 Bxd6 20. Qf3 Ne7 21. h4 h5 22. gxh5 Nxh5 23. Rhg1 Kh7 24. Qxh5+ 0-1.

    White: Aleksander Mista
    Black: Adam C Taylor

    1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 d6 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Bd2 O-O 9. Bxc6 Bxd2+ 10. Nbxd2 bxc6 11. O-O Nd7 12. Rc1 c5 13. Nb3 Rb8 14. Qc2 Qf6 15. Rfe1 Qg6 16. Qe2 Re8 17. dxc5 Nf6 18. Nfd2 Nd5 19. Qf3 Bg4 20. Qg3 Nb4 21. a3 Na6 22. cxd6 cxd6 23. Rc6 Rb6 24. Rxb6 axb6 25. Qd3 Nc5 26. Nxc5 dxc5 27. Nc4 h5 28. h3 Bc8 29. Re3 Bb7 30. Qd6 Qxd6 31. Nxd6 Rb8 32. Rc3 Kf8 33. b4 cxb4 34. axb4 Ke7 35. Nxb7
    Rxb7 36. Rc6 b5 37. Rc5 h4 38. f3 Rb6 39. Kf2 Ra6 40. Rxb5 Ra2+ 41. Kg1 g6 42. Rg5 Rb2 43. Rg4 Rxb4 44. Rxh4 Rb2 45. Rh8 Kf6 46. Kh2 Rb3 47. h4 Ra3 48. Kg3 Ra2 49. Kh3 Ra3 50. Kg4 Kg7 51. Rb8 Ra5 52. Rb7 Kf6 53. Kf4 Rh5 54. g3 Ra5 55. g4 Ra6 56. Rb5 Ra3 57. h5 gxh5 58. Rxh5 Kg6 59. Rd5 Ra6 60. g5 Rb6 61. Kg4 Rb1 62. Rd6+ Kg7 63. f4 Rb4 64. Kf5 Ra4 65. g6 fxg6+ 66. Rxg6+ Kf7 67. Rd6 1-0.

    White: Peter J Batchelor
    Black: Igor Khenkin

    1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 g6 8. Bd3 Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. b4 Nd7 11. Rb1 dxc4 12. Bxc4 e5 13. d5 Nb6 14. Qb3 Bf5 15. e4 Bg4 16. Be2 cxd5 17. exd5 Rfe8 18. Nd2 Bxe2 19. Nxe2 e4 20. Rfd1 Rac8 21. Nf1 Nc4 22. Rd4 Nd6 23. Ne3 h5 24. Rbd1 Bh6 25. Ng3 Bxe3 26. Qxe3 Rc2 27. Re1 Rxa2 28. Rxe4 Nxe4 29. Nxe4 Rxe4 30. Qxe4 Qxf2+ 31. Kh1 Rd2 32. h3 Rxd5 33. Rc1 Qf5 34. Qe3 a6 35. Qb6 Qf4 36. Re1 Rd7 37. Qc5 Kh7 38. b5 Rc7 39. Qd5 axb5 40. Qxb5 Rc1 41. Rxc1 Qxc1+ 42. Kh2 Qc7+ 43. Kh1 b6 44. g4 Qc1+ 45. Kg2 Qd2+ 46. Kf3 Qc3+ 47. Kg2 h4 48. Qf1 Kg7 49. Kh1 b5 50. g5 b4 51. Qg2 Qe1+ 0-1.