By Michelangelo Jacobus
The inaugural CARICOM Classic Chess tournament was launched last evening, albeit over half an hour late, with an opening ceremony at the Ramada Hotel in Providence.
Attendees were treated to a ceremony where Guyana’s pristine culture was on display through a variety of dances, a steel pan solo, as well as a touching skit from special needs students of the David Rose Special School and a classic musical performance from junior chess player Alexander Zhang on the piano.
In attendance were representatives and players from the various CARICOM nations, along with Guyana’s Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., CARICOM Deputy Secretary General Dr. Armstrong Alexis, and special guest FIDE Deputy President and Grand Master Viswanathan Anand from India, who all delivered remarks.
Minister Ramson and CARICOM’s Dr. Alexis both hailed the tournament as a catalyst for regional integration, which aligns with the values of CARICOM.
Dr. Alexis, who hails from St. Lucia, welcomed the participants and all chess enthusiasts to the CARICOM Classic. He also expressed hope that it would be the first of many visits by Grand Master Anand and that “the coming days will bring friendly rivalry while knitting a unified camaraderie while embodying the essence of CARICOM.”
He also encouraged the various countries to expand and install chess throughout their various territories and expressed his best wishes to the participants.
In his brief but impactful address to the gathering, Grandmaster Anand said, “I am delighted to be here. It’s my first visit to Guyana and the Caribbean. When I heard FIDE was working with the GCF to make this tournament possible, I was delighted to make the trip happen.”
He gave a brief insight into the development of the game in India, noting that more than forty years ago, there were regional tournaments in his homeland that saw visits from Soviet Grandmasters, which was a catalyst for the improvement of chess in India.
He also hailed the mixed-team aspect of the CARICOM Classic, noting that the uniqueness of the mixed-team element will make for exciting results. He also congratulated the GCF and other CARICOM nations on being able to stage the tournament.
Meanwhile, Ramson, during his address, noted that it was a “privilege to be here, a privilege to have a Grand Master among us.”
He remarked that the participants, especially the Guyanese chess players, should “make more of the opportunity that we have by having him (Grand Master Anand) here.” He explained that it would be prudent for the up-and-coming chess players to draw inspiration from Grand Master Anand’s story of how he rose to the pinnacle of world chess and his journey in getting there.
“It is a great tournament for Caribbean integration, and we (Guyana) have committed to regional integration,” Ramson said. “It’s a pleasure to work with the Guyana Chess Federation; we are proud to support this programme.”
On the other hand, GCF President Anand Raghunauth revealed that the championship was developed and created by the various members of CARICOM and expressed optimism about the tournament becoming an annual fixture at the very least.
The CARICOM Classic has been hailed as an “international celebration of strategy, equity, and unity.” It coincides with the 50th anniversary celebrations of CARICOM.
Teams from the Bahamas, Barbados, The Cayman Islands, Dominica, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and host country Guyana will match wits over chess boards for the CARICOM Championship title, medals, trophies, and cash prizes totaling USD $3,000.
First, second, and third-place trophies will be awarded to the top three CARICOM territories based on tournament results. Gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded to individual players of the first three CARICOM teams.
Guyana will be fielding two teams of four players each, which comprise two males and two females. One team will consist of Candidate Master Taffin Khan, FIDE Master Anthony Drayton, current Women’s National Champion Jessica Callender, and Shazeeda Rahim, while junior team two consists of reigning Junior Champion Keron Sandiford, fourteen-year-old Kyle Couchman, Sasha Shariff, and thirteen-year-old Aditi Joshi.
The Guyanese chess players will meet their international counterparts over the board in the FIDE-rated tournament with nine rounds of classical games consisting of 90 minutes with 30-second increments after each move.
Round one is expected to start at 10 a.m. today, while round two will begin at 4 p.m. as well. Games will continue throughout the week and conclude on Saturday (March 9).
