FIDE Master Anthony Drayton played unbeaten to win the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) GAICO Construction-sponsored Grand Prix eight-round competition which ended last weekend at the Providence National Stadium.
Drayton ended on seven and one half points after drawing with second place
finisher Adrian Roopnarine.
Roopnarine, who lost to veteran player Loris Nathoo and drew with third place finisher Davion Mars ended on six points.
Mars, who drew with Ethan Lee and Loris Nathoo, but lost to Drayton, finished with five and one half points.
Nathoo was fourth with five and one half points, losing only to Drayton.
Keron Sandiford copped the best junior prize also ending on five and one half points, after losing to Drayton and Mars and drawing with Ethan Lee.
Chelsea Juma was presented with the best female prize and Pooja Lam received the best junior female prize.
Trophies and cash prizes were presented to the top three finishers and medals were given to the fourth to 10th place finishers Nathoo, Sandiford, Lee, Oluwadare Oyeyipo, Jaden Taylor, Juma and 12-year-old Arysh Raghunauth, respectively.
Female player Jessica Callender was unable to finish the competition owing to an accident on the way to the final day of the games.
The tournament, the first of several tournament, will be used as a yardstick to determine the team for the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad games to be held in Chennai India on July 28th to August 10th of this year.
Anand Raghunauth, GCF vice-president and FIDE Arbiter, at the award ceremony, thanked the GCF committee members for their contributions over the past months and encouraged the talented young Guyanese chess players to continue to train and to be involved in the other aspects of the federation.
Drayton and Mars are currently involved in training new members of the GCF and Raghunauth said that he hopes more young people can come on board to work towards creating a viable chess community in Guyana.
The GCF expressed thanks to the participants and its sponsor, GAICO Construction and everyone who assisted in making the tourney a success. Special thanks to FIDE Arbiter John Lee and head of Development of Chess, who ensured that the games were streamed live on the GCF’s webpage guyanachess.org and you-tube, keeping viewers at home up to date with the progress of the games. The GCF for the first time, broadcast live games utilizing electronic chess boards supported by programmes which allow games to be streamed over the internet in real time.
According to a release from the GCF, the venture will continue to be a vibrant aspect of future chess tournaments and the federation hopes to acquire more electronic boards in order to improve and develop its mandate in taking chess to higher levels in Guyana.
