With 6½ points from seven games World Chess Federation (FIDE) national master Taffin Khan emerged victorious in the recently concluded 2020 National Chess Champion-ship.
The championship was delayed from last year, owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Eight of the nation’s finest players contested the tournament.
Wendell Meusa was second with 5½ points and Glenford Corlette third with 4½ points. Though Khan and Meusa played unbeaten and drew in their personal encounter, Meusa had defaulted his game with FIDE Master Anthony Drayton which caused him to lose a full point.
Drayton, the 2019 national champion, did not have a satisfying tournament; he suffered two surprising defeats.
This year’s championship, I believe, would be much more rigorous in both the qualifying and championship stages. Per-haps the Guyana Chess Federation can reintroduce team tournaments for members. This would encourage schools to establish chess clubs, and strong players would offer advanced competition to young aspirants.
Chess game
White: Magnus Carlsen
Black: Anish Giri
Place and Date: Tata Steel Tournament, Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, January 2021
Type of Game: Italian Game,
Classical Variation
1. e4e5 2. Nf3Nc6 3. Bc4Bc5 4. c3Nf6 5. d3O-O 6. b4Be7 7. Nbd2d5 8. Bb3Bg4 9. Qc2dxe4 10. dxe4Bd6 11. h3Bh5 12. Rb1a5 13. a3axb4 14. axb4b5 15. O-ONe7 16. Re1Qc8 17. Qd3Rb8 18. Nh4Ng6 19. Nxg6Bxg6 20. Nf1Rd8 21. Qf3c5 22. Bg5Be7 23. Ng3c4 24. Bc2h6 25. Be3Qc6 26. Nf5Bxf5 27. Qxf5g6 28. Qf3Kg7 29. Ra1Ra8 30. Qe2Rxa1 31. Rxa1Ra8 32. Rxa8Qxa8 33. Qd2h5 34. Kh2Qc6 35. Qe2Qe6 36. g3Bd8 37. Kg2Bb6 38. Bg5Nh7 39. Bc1Nf6 40. Bg5Nh7 41. Bc1Nf6 42. Bg5. ½-½.
