Three years after the last behind-the-board classical chess game was contested in 2019, the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) is ready to re-commence this traditional activity with the Gaico Grand Prix Chess Tournament which begins on Saturday, March 19 at the National Stadium, Providence.
This Gaico Grand Prix Tournament will follow the identical format it did two years ago. It will be of 90 minutes’ duration plus the usual second increases per game and will be played at weekends.
Four tournaments will be played, and points will be awarded at the conclusion of each tournament. The person with the highest number of points wins the Grand Prix in the male and female categories.
The Grand Prix was created by Loris Nathoo, official fundraiser for the GCF. For the four 2019 tournaments he secured $300,000 and this time around he obtained $500,000. Taffin Khan and Maria Varona-Thomas were the 2019 winners.
Since the onset of COVID-19, chess connoisseurs have been pushing their pieces via their computers. Although this Grand Prix marks a return to face-to-face chess, all COVID regulations will be fully observed.
