Internationally, chess is progressing; seemingly it is overcoming the hindrances that resulted from COVID-19. Four days ago, some 11 million people were playing chess online on a single website. This tells us we have to enhance our game in Guyana if we are to move ahead.
Guyanese are brilliant people but we have to demonstrate that on the world stage. Competing and succeeding internationally at chess provides a unique platform to do just that.
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) manages chess locally and it is the responsibility of that organisation to ensure we succeed with our endeavours. GCF elections are due to be held this year.
The World Chess Federation (FIDE) leads 195 federations, the GCF among them. FIDE tries to ensure democracy prevails in each body. It hosts a Chess Olympiad biennially for players to fraternize with others from different continents whilst playing chess. The last Chess Olympiad, which was scheduled for 2020, was postponed to the summer of 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In international news, Anatoly Karpov, 69, a former world chess champion will be competing in a tournament in Malmo, Sweden in April. The lineup for the tournament of eight contenders include two 2700 players in Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem (2709), and the Netherlands’ Jorden van Foreest (2701). The latter won the Tata Steel 2021 tournament. Karpov’s illustrious career was marked by two world championship matches against Viktor Korchnoi and Garry Kasparov.
Chess Game
White: Bobby Fischer
Black: Boris Spassky
Place and Date: Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 1992.
Match, Rd. 15.
Type of Game: Catalan Opening, Closed
Variation.
1.c4e6 2.Nf3Nf6 3.g3d5 4.Bg2Be7 5.O-OO-O 6.d4Nbd7 7.Nbd2b6 8.cxd5exd5 9.Ne5Bb7 10.Ndf3Ne4 11.Bf4Ndf6 12.Rc1c5 13.dxc5bxc5 14.Ng5Nxg5 15.Bxg5Ne4 16.Bxe7Qxe7 17.Bxe4dxe4 18.Nc4e3 19.f3Rad8 20.Qb3Rfe8 21.Rc3Bd5 22.Rfc1g6 23.Qa3Bxf3 24.exf3e2 25.Re1Rd1 26.Kf2Rxe1 27.Kxe1Qd7 28.Qb3Qh3 29.Ne3Qxh2 30.g4Rb8 31.Qd5Rxb2 32.Qd8+Kg7 33.Nf5+gxf51/2-1/2
