Sarcasm is like a good game of chess. Most people do not know how to play chess. – Anonymous
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) is tightening its grip on selecting players for the biennial Chess Olympiad with the idea of attracting the crème de la crème of local exponents of the game. The method of selection entails a points accumulation system. The more points you receive on completion of the Grand Prix process, the more chances you have of making the cut. Simply put, the persons with the highest number of points during the selection process would be invited to represent Guyana at the Olympiad.
During James Bond’s tenure as president of the GCF, the question of a points system received favourable consideration. Loris Nathoo is the architect of this points system, which guarantees transparency, and most ideal of all, compels a player to compete in local tournaments. The idea is if you cherish the notion of getting ahead in chess, participation in tournaments to accumulate points would be a creditable way of doing it. Chess players who are in the habit of turning up from obscurity to play in the Olympiad qualification tournament will be in for a big surprise. By that time, the points would have expired or at least most of them. When the points system is formally adopted by the executive committee of the GCF, it would be given the appropriate publicity on social media, in the newspapers and on television. There will be no excuses for the comments, ‘I didn’t know’ or ‘when was this system introduced?’
Internationally, the points system is alive and well. The World Chess Federa-tion (FIDE) uses it. For example, one of the ways of participating in the Candi-dates is playing in a Grand Prix tournament. The FIDE 2019 Grand Prix is a series of four tournaments that employ the points system and reward the winner and runner-up with a place in the elite Candidates. The winner of the Candidates will have the opportunity to play against world champion Magnus Carlsen.
The 2019 National Chess Championship qualification tournament which was completed is likely to be used as a Grand Prix tournament, as well as the 2019 Women’s Championship. It is my understanding a total of five Grand Prix tournaments would be held before the 2020 Chess Olympiad.
Meanwhile, the Berbice Chess Association will host a one-day tournament next Sunday, September 1st, at the Uni-versity of Guyana’s Tain Campus. Details will be published shortly.
