With only three rounds remaining in the Diamond Insurance Women’s Chess Championship Qualifiers, former women’s champion Sasha Shariff is in sole possession of the lead as she attempts to reclaim the coveted title held by Pooja Lam who will not be defending her crown this year.
Shariff, who won the title in 2020, held the title until it was won by the reigning champion, Lam.
After four rounds of intense competition, Shariff leads with 3.5 points. The matches began Saturday and Shariff secured easy victories against newcomers to competitive chess, Chelsea Harrison and Chandra Lall despite their valiant efforts.
In the third round Shariff continued her winning streak by defeating Vienna Bharosay. However, her match against fellow senior national player Jessica Callender in round four proved to be a grueling battle, lasting about two and one half hours and ultimately ending in a draw. Both Shariff and Callender are accomplished senior players who have represented Guyana on multiple occasions at the international stage. They had previously faced each other in the Women’s National Chess Championship last year and were teammates at the 2022 FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India.
The head-to-head clash between Shariff and Callender demonstrated their prowess in the game. Shariff, playing the white pieces, opened with the popular King’s Pawn Opening while Callender countered with the Caro-Kann Defence, a surprising choice as both players are typically known for playing closed games. The Caro-Kann often leads to good endgames for black due to a better pawn structure. However, in this case, the endgame culminated with Shariff’s lone rook against Callender’s connected passed pawns rapidly approaching the first rank. At move 48, neither player saw a clear path to victory, leading to the decision to agree to the draw.
Shariff is closely followed by Callender, Waveney Johnson and Aniyah Couchman, all with three points while Italy Ton Chung, Anaya Lall, Vienna Bharosay, Adia Alphonso and Aditi Joshi are on two and one half points. Priya Doodnauth, Chandra Lall, Ciel Clement and Kataleya Sam are next with two points each while Harrison, Parnita Kishun and Tharisha Montes De Oca each earned one point.
Kaija Clement and Joanna Shepherd are each on half a point.
The players lived up to their titles as the “Queens of the Board,” displaying their courage and determination in all their games. Some players even journeyed from Regions Three and Six for the chance to play for the title.
Although Shariff currently holds the lead, she must continue to perform well in the final three rounds to maintain her position.
The Qualifiers will conclude Sunday after which the top 10 players will compete in the National Champion-ship at a later date. Unfortunately, last year’s winner Lam, will not be defending her title as she is currently fulfilling study commitments, paving the way for a new champion this year.
The Guyana Chess Federation extends heartfelt gratitude to Diamond Fire and General Insurance for their generous sponsorship of this prestigious event. Additionally, the GCF acknowledges the School of the Nations for graciously providing the venue for the tournament. As an avid supporter of chess in Guyana, the School of the Nations also facilitates the Federation’s Chess Club, the release from the federation stated.
