Meusa, a Guyanese national chess player, toppled emerging giants from Nicaragua, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Aruba, and Trinidad and Tobago to win his five games in the virtual World Chess Federation (FIDE) 2020 Chess Olympiad.
Meusa’s FIDE rating is 1987. His opponents from Trinidad and Tobago, Ryan Harper (2198) and Nicaragua, Jose Espinoza (2141) were rated higher. Players with higher ratings are arguably stronger competitors. However, although Meusa’s performance was an exhilarating one, Guyana failed to progress to the next round.
FIDE structured the competition to include men, women, and girls and boys under 20 years old. The countries that progressed in Guyana’s group of ten were Honduras, Jamaica, and Nicaragua. This week, the column presents two of Meusa’s games. Meusa won both games for Guyana
Event: 2020 FIDE Online Olympiad
White: Jose Espinoza, Nicaragua
Black: Wendell Meusa, Guyana
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Bd3 Bxd3 5. Qxd3 e6 6. Nf3 Qb6 7. O-O Qa6 8. Qxa6 Nxa6 9. c3 c5 10. Be3 Ne7 11. Na3 Nf5 12. Nb5 h5 13. Rfd1 Be7 14. Bg5 f6 15. exf6 gxf6 16. Bf4 Kf7 17. a3 cxd4 18. cxd4 Rhc8 19. Rac1 Rc6 20. Kf1 Rb6 21. a4 Nb4 22. Rc7 a6 23. Nc3 Nc6 24. Rd2 Na5 25. Re2 Nc4 26. h3 h4 27. g4 hxg3 28. fxg3 Re8 29. g4 Nfd6 30. Rd7 Rc6 31. h4 Nb6 32. Bxd6 Nxd7 33. Bf4 Rg8 34. g5 Bd6 35. Bd2 Nb6 36. h5 Nc4 37. g6+ Kg7 38. Rxe6 Nxd2+ 39. Nxd2 Bb4 40. Re3 Rh8 41. Rh3 Bxc3 42. bxc3 Re6 43. c4 dxc4 44. Nxc4 Re4 45. Ne3 Rf4+ 46. Ke2 Kh6 47. Rg3 Kxh5 48. Ng2 Re8+ 49. Kd3 Rg4 50. Rh3+ Kxg6 51. Ne3 Rg5 52. d5 Rge5 53. Kd4 Rxe3 54. Rxe3 Rxe3 55. Kxe3 Kf7 56. Ke4 Ke7 57. Kf5 Kd6 58. Kxf6 Kxd5 59. Ke7 b5 0-1.
White: Aaron Ramtulla, Bahamas
Black: Wendell Meusa, Guyana
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nxd5 4. Nxd5 Qxd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Be7 8. b3 e4 9. Ne1 Bf6 10. c3 Bf5 11. Bb2 O-O-O 12. f3 Qxd2 13. Qxd2 Rxd2 14. Nd3 exd3 15. Bxd3 Bxd3 16. Rfd1 Rxb2 17. Rxd3 Rd8 18. Re3 Rdd2 19. Kf1 Rf2+ 20. Kg1 Rxg2+ 21. Kh1 Rxh2+ 22. Kg1 Rbg2+ 23. Kf1 Rxa2 24. Rae1 Rh1# 0-1.
