Nineteen-year-old Sasha Shariff, a University of Guyana student is considered the favourite in the annual Women’s National Chess Championship which began on Thursday at the School of the Nations, Georgetown and ends on August 20. Shariff has already won the seven-round National Qualifiers Tournament with 6½ points. (A win = 1 point, a draw = ½ and a loss = 0.)
Meanwhile, Pooja Lam, 14, the West Coast Demerara schoolgirl who won last year’s Women’s National, is not participating in this year’s contest as she is concentrating on her academic studies.
The ten players contesting the 2023 Women’s Champion-ship are primarily teenagers. While youths are realising there is an attractiveness to chess, in Guyana, it is becoming clear that young girls are rivalling boys for chess attention. Recently, Secretary of the Guyana Chess Federation Marcia Lee established a Women in Chess Committee, which angles women toward chess.
In addition, more than once, Lee supervised girls and boys learning to play chess at the Giftland Mall. The appearances by novices were a big hit and children from varying schools signed on to the chess programme.
Previously, local women chess players were few. They could have been counted on the fingers of one hand. However, senior players will undoubtedly remember Maria Thomas who was equal to the men in playing strength, theory and middlegame techniques. Today, the number of women playing chess has increased and there are solid competitors at every level as well as budding enthusiasts raring to make their mark. My prediction is that it will become much more difficult, year after year, to qualify for Olympiad inclusion.
It is worth noting here that chess teaches students how to think and solve puzzles, plan strategically, evaluate options, and analyse situations. A puzzle is presented each week in the “Chess Column” for senior advocates of the game to solve. I have two chess friends who enjoy the intangible benefits of selecting the correct solution to the problem. One would do so quickly, and the other, in his own time. Both are gratifying to me.
Chess game
White: Sasha Shariff
Black: Jessica Callender
Event: Diamond Fire and General Insurance 2023 Women’s Chess Championship Qualifiers, Georgetown, Guyana
Type of Game: Caro-Kann Defence
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bg4 7. Be2 Bxf3 8. Bxf3 dxc4 9. d5 Nb4 10. Qa4+ Qd7 11. Qxb4 e6 12. Qxc4 Rc8 13. Qd3 Bb4 14. O-O Bxc3 15. bxc3 Nxd5 16. c4 Nb6 17. Qxd7+ Nxd7 18. Be2 O-O 19. Be3 b6 20. Rfd1 Rfd8 21. Rd2 Kf8 22. Rb1 Ke7 23. c5 Nxc5 24. Rxd8 Kxd8 25. Rd1+ Ke7 26. Bxc5+ Rxc5 27. Bd3 Rd5 28. Kf1 g6 29. Be2 Rxd1+ 30. Bxd1 a5 31. Ba4 h5 32. h4 e5 33. Ke2 f6 34. Kd3 g5 35. hxg5 fxg5 36. f3 h4 37. Bc6 Kd6 38. Ba8 b5 39. Ke4 Ke6 40. Bd5+ Kf6 41. a3 b4 42. axb4 axb4 43. Kd3 Kf5 44. Kc4 g4 45. Be4+ Kf4 46. Kd5 gxf3 47. Bxf3 b3 48. Be4. Draw Agreed. ½-½.
