Guyana’s finest chess players have departed for the Olympiad in Chennai, India, to face opponents from among 188 countries. Meanwhile, the U-14 National Open Rapid Championships were contested at home. The winners in the separate age groups were:
Boys: U-14 – Kyle Couchman; U-12 – Aquilani Swaminadha; U-10 – Julian Mohabir; U-8 – Landon Mohabir.
Girls: U-14 – Ciel Clement; U-10 – Chelsea Harrison; U-8 – Arianna Binda.
It is a widely known and accepted fact in chess that prodigies are discovered at an early age. Chess is also one of the few sports or intellectual activities where children can compete with adults on equal ground. It is therefore necessary for the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) to continue to encourage these youth championships.
Furthermore, chess prodigies can become world champions. If they do not, they can enjoy lucrative careers 
and fame as grandmasters. Our neighbour Brazil produced a child prodigy, Henrique Mecking, some years ago. Mecking learned chess at age six, gave simultaneous displays at age nine, won the Brazilian championship at 13 and the South American Zonal at 14, and became an International Master at 15.
Additionally, he won two rigorous Interzonal Tournaments in a row at 21 and 24 and qualified to compete in the Candidates Tournament.
The Guyana team began playing their games at the Olympiad this week. STR Wood Inc donated $500,000 to the team last week in a motivational gesture to encourage victories among the players. Meanwhile, the GCF will host the National U-16 Rapid Championships next Sunday at the Marian Academy.
Registration for the tournament can be done at guyanachess.org.
In international news, world champion Magnus Carlsen has announced he will not defend his title in November. He said he defeated Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in the last world championship match and he lacks the motivation to play again. Chess Base quoted Carlsen as saying, “… although I’m sure a match would be interesting for historical reasons and all of that, I don’t have any inclination to play and I will simply not play the match.” That means the second place finisher in the Candidates, China’s Ding Liren will now compete against Nepomniachtchi for the championship.
Chess Game
White: Fabiano Caruana
Black: Ding Liren
Event: 2022 FIDE Candidates, Madrid, Spain, June 30
Type of Game: Spanish Game: Closed Variation
1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. Bd2 Qd7 11. Nc3 Na5 12. Ba2 b4 13. Ne2 c5 14. Ng3 Rab8 15. Nh4 g6 16. Bh6 Rfe8
17. Nhf5 Bd8 18. Ng7 Rf8 19. h3 b3 20. Bxb3 Nxb3 21. cxb3 Bc6 22. Rc1 Kh8 23. Ne6 Qxe6 24. Bxf8 Ba5 25. Bh6 Bxe1 26. Qxe1 Rxb3 27. Qa5 Ng8 28. Be3 Bb7 29. Qd2 f6 30. f4 exf4
31. Bxf4 g5 32. Be3 Qe5 33. Nf5 Ne7 34. Nxe7 Qxe7 35. Qc2 Rb6 36. Rf1 Kg7 37. a5 Rc6
38. Bd2 Rc8 39. Bc3 Rf8 40. Qf2 h6 41. h4 Bc8 42. b4 Bd7 43. bxc5 dxc5 44. Rb1 Bb5
45. hxg5 hxg5 46. Qf5 Kg8 47. d4 Bd3 48. Re1 cxd4 49. Bxd4 Qh7 50. Qf3 Bb5 51. e5 Qd7
52. Bc5 Rc8 53. Qb3+ Qf7 54. e6 Qc7 55. e7+ Kg7 56. Bd4 Qf4 57. Be3 Qg3 58. Qb4 Rh8
59. e8= QQh2+ 60. Kf2 Rxe8 61. Qg4 Qe5 62. Qd4 Qf5+ 63. Kg1 Kg6 64. Qd2 Bc6
65. Bf2 Qg4 66. Qd3+ Be4 67. Qg3 Qxg3 68. Bxg3 f5 69. Bc7 Kh5 70. Kf2 Kg4 71. Rc1 Re7 72. Rc3 Rd7 73. g3 Bd3 74. Bb8 Bb5 75. Bc7 Re7 76. Bd8 Re2+ 77. Kg1 Rd2 78. Be7 Bd3. 0-1. White resigns.
