Chess with Errol

Lack of inclusiveness not good for local chess

Loris Nathoo (left) in action at a recent tournament. He prepared and delivered the 2019 chess calendar to the Guyana Chess Federation. Nathoo supported the idea of Essequibo, Linden and Berbice entering the National Championships following hosting of their regional tournaments. He is adamant the game should be expanded to include each region. For the moment, however, players from Essequibo, Linden and Berbice should be given incentives to participate in the National Championships. 
Loris Nathoo (left) in action at a recent tournament. He prepared and delivered the 2019 chess calendar to the Guyana Chess Federation. Nathoo supported the idea of Essequibo, Linden and Berbice entering the National Championships following hosting of their regional tournaments. He is adamant the game should be expanded to include each region. For the moment, however, players from Essequibo, Linden and Berbice should be given incentives to participate in the National Championships. 
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The qualifier for the 2019 National Chess Championship ended on Sunday, April 14, but so far no announcement has been made as to when the final phase of the National Championship would begin. The seven qualifiers are: Taffin Khan, Anthony Drayton, Saeed Ali, Loris Nathoo, Shiv Nandalall, Kriskal Persaud and Roberto Neto. 

In any sport or discipline, the national championships are the supreme tournaments. The winner or the team would effectively wear the crown for at least a year. Therefore, such championships are to be respectfully organised considering all, or at least, the major angles. It is as important as that.

During the last quarter of 2018, or early this year, national chess player Loris Nathoo delivered a calendar of events to the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) for 2019 based on the findings of his research into the manner in which the developed chess nations operated. He said more persons are surrounding themselves with chess. They want to play the game, and eventually, they are amenable to taking up management positions within the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

During the 2019 Berbice Inter-Schools Chess Championship which was held at the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School, Rolston Semple of the New Amsterdam Multilateral School placed second in the individual category. In photo Semple (left) receives his second-place trophy from Phylino Williams, a teacher at the Siparuta Primary School. (Photo: Krishnanand Raghunandan)

The dates for the local National Chess Championship should be identified beforehand. It cannot be any other way. In FIDE tournaments, the dates are set months before. In fact, we already know the Chess Olympiad would be held in September-October 2020.

It is ridiculous to begin a National Chess Championship without giving adequate prior notice. Some of the players who are travelling from far have to seek sponsorships (like Kriskal Persaud), while others may have to seek release from their jobs for that particular period. For the recent qualifier, a Berbice father was unable to send his two sons to play in the tournament because the taxi fares are expensive. Added to that, it pleased the GCF to charge a tournament entrance fee of $2,000 per player. It’s too expensive. And to date, I am not aware that prizes were distributed for the qualifier.

I recall the words of a previous president of the GCF, Forbes Burnham, at a chess meeting: “Chess is for the masses. It is not only for the elites.”

The two boys from Berbice are strong players. I engaged them both at a tournament in Berbice. It is unfortunate they could not play. Chess should not be kept under wraps. It is a tiny game and it’s not in the GCF’s methodology keep it contained. Chess must be played everywhere and as Burnham said, it’s for all people. 

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