-Best Beginner Trophy also up for Grabs
Asian restaurant chain, Jade’s Wok in addition to Pinnacle Business Services have thrown their support behind Guyana Women in Chess Community (GWICC) under the umbrella of the Guyana Chess Federation, to sponsor the inaugural Queenside Rapid Tournament which is set for today.
This event, specially reserved for women and girls, will encourage beginners and unrated female players to compete in hopes of expanding the talent pool of women and girls playing competitive chess. There will be nine rounds of games with durations of 15 minutes + 5 seconds increments per round.
The venue for the Queenside Rapid Tournament will be the David Rose Special School, with the first round kicking off at 9 am today. The top five female participants with the most points will receive trophies, and the top three players will win prizes totaling $50,000. The GCF is also looking out for the best talent to emerge among the beginners, with a special trophy for the winner of that category. Prizes for the best girl, best woman and youngest player will also be awarded.
The Women in Chess Community has been pushing the development of young girls and women in chess since the organisation was formed. Over the past two years, the GWICC has hosted its annual Queenside Chess Camp, a programme designed to inspire more girls and women to embrace the game of chess and strengthen their community. These camps attract women and girls of all ages and skill levels.
According to a statement from the GCF, “female participation in chess has surged, with 25% of national competitors now being girls. This heartening trend challenges the traditionally male-dominated sport in Guyana. The GCF has strong female representation on its National teams, and they have represented Guyana both regionally and internationally with exceptional results” thanks to the WICC.
