Chess with Errol

The World Chess Federation President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is shown here (at left) in dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in April 2012 in Damascus. President Assad had tasked the Syrian Ministry of Education to join the “Chess in Schools” project administered by FIDE. According to Ilyumzhinov, “The Syrian President plays chess very well—since his studies in London.” Two weeks ago, the US government blacklisted the FIDE president for materially assisting the Syrian government. Recently, President of the Russian Chess Federation Andrey Filatov proposed that Ilyumzhinov run for the FIFA presidency.
The World Chess Federation President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is shown here (at left) in dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in April 2012 in Damascus. President Assad had tasked the Syrian Ministry of Education to join the “Chess in Schools” project administered by FIDE. According to Ilyumzhinov, “The Syrian President plays chess very well—since his studies in London.” Two weeks ago, the US government blacklisted the FIDE president for materially assisting the Syrian government. Recently, President of the Russian Chess Federation Andrey Filatov proposed that Ilyumzhinov run for the FIFA presidency.

FIDE president blacklisted for ‘supporting’ Syrian government

The United States has imposed sanctions against President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and former Russian regional governor Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, owing to his alleged assistance to the government of Syria.

Football legend ‘King’ Pelé is flanked by the President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov at left, and President of the Russian Federation and FIDE Vice-President Andrei Filatov recently in London at the ‘Pelé: Art, Life, Football’ exhibition. The FIDE president presented Pele with a Kalmyk chess set.

Russians duel in Baku finals

During the dutiful protest action to heighten awareness of the persisting, obnoxious Venezuelan claim to Guyana’s territory on Tuesday outside the United Nations in Manhattan, a Guyanese participant expressed the view that President David Granger had in essence checkmated his Venezuelan counterpart following their meeting with the UN Secretary-General.

Republic Bank’s Davion Mars (left), who placed second in the Junior category of the Forbes Burnham Memorial Chess Tournament, receives his trophy and medal from PNCR senior official Lance Carberry at an awards ceremony at Carifesta Sports Club. The junior category of the Burnham Memorial was won by Roberto Neto.

Neto, Drayton took top awards in memorial tournament

At the lively awards ceremony to mark the 30th death anniversary of former president Forbes Burnham at the Carifesta Sports Club on the evening of Friday before last, there was a palpable sense of excitement among the karate kids who assembled to uplift their medals and trophies.

Burnham Memorial Tournament now in progress

It is my fervent hope as President of the Guyana Chess Association and as the Head of a Government committed to national excellence in sports, that Ajedrez will make a contribution in further popularizing chess, to illuminate the darkness and dispel the mysteries which in some cases still surround and engulf this great game, and be a source of instruction to the inexperienced, and of pleasure to the initiate.    

Carrying the name of the most famous movie character of perhaps all time, Attorney-at-Law James Bond (left) ponders his next move in a friendly chess encounter. Bond learnt to play the game last December and relates that he is fascinated with the possibilities which chess has to offer. Bond is sponsoring a chess tournament over the weekend at Congress Place, Sophia. The tournament concludes today, and all are invited as onlookers to the games. Play begins at 10 am.

A James Bond shot in the arm for local chess

The mysterious game of royalty, chess, was given a plaudit over the weekend as a seven-round, Swiss-system, two-day chess tournament was conducted from yesterday, Saturday, at Congress Place, and will conclude today, Sunday.

Felicity Sonaram, 13 (left) a student at St Stanislaus College, opposes Sheriffa Ali, 16, of St Joseph High, during the lunch interval of last Sunday’s rapid chess tournament at the National Resource Centre in Woolford Avenue. Both students have been identified to represent Guyana at the Guyana Games which are to be held here next month. In the background, Joshua Gopaul, 15, of Saints, takes on his sister Ellen, a student at Zeeburg Secondary. Joshua captured the top junior chess prize in Sunday’s competition and has also been earmarked to represent his country at the Guyana Games.

The ‘game of the decade’

The 6th Hainan Danzhou chess tournament concluded yesterday. The 16-year-old chess phenomenon Wei Yi played a game with Cuba’s number two player, Lazaro Batista Bruzon.

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