Candidate Master (CM), Taffin Khan said yesterday that he is not looking too far ahead following his win at the just concluded National Chess Championships but was taking it one step at a time.
Khan’s win on Saturday made him a four-time men’s chess champion and he is crediting preparation for his undefeated run at the 2020 National chess championships following his final round victory over Davion Mars Saturday.
Khan won the tournament with six and one half points with former national champion Wendell Meusa second on five and one half points.
The two played to a draw in their encounter.
Glenford Corlette took the third position with four and one half points while Mars and defending champion Anthony Drayton were tied for fourth position with three points each. National captain Loris Nathoo took the sixth position with two and one half points while Errol Tiwari and Rai Sharma rounded out the final positions with two and one point respectively.
The Guyana Chess Federation-organised tournament signaled the return to over-the-board action at the National Stadium, Providence in the seven-round Swiss system tournament.
Khan admitted that his toughest match came in the fifth round against Meusa who, according to Khan, played a safe game which resulted in a draw.
Khan won all his other matches including his final round encounter against Mars.
“I played the Nimzo-Indian defence. There were some tactics in the middle game and after some exchanges I ended up with two rooks, a bishop and four pawns versus Mars’ bishop, knight, rook and four pawns. Going into the endgame, Mars lost a pawn and I exchanged one of my rooks for Mars’ own. Mars had to give up his knight for two passed pawns and resigned after losing his remaining bishop and two pawns,” Khan recalled of his final encounter.
Defending champion Drayton did not have a good tournament and lost key matchups to the seasoned players such as Khan and Meusa as well as to Mars and Corlette.
Following Khan’s crowning as a four-time champion he told this publication, “The Chess Olympiad is next year so the 2021 National championships later this year that will be my main focus. I’m taking it one step at a time.”
With a 1999 FIDE rating, Khan is expected to move up to 2017 after this tournament.
The new champion believes that the time away from over-the-board action did not have much effect on the players nor did the new conditions due to the COVID-19 regulations.
Khan last won the tournament in 2012 but lost it to Meusa in 2013. The tournament was not played between 2014 and 2017.
