Drayton wins National Senior Chess Qualifier

The seven-round National Senior Chess Qualifier concluded at the weekend with the top seven players being confirmed to compete for the title of National Senior Chess champion later this year.

Anthony Drayton, the top ranked FIDE player in the Qualifier, will lead the pile into the tournament proper, having played unbeaten in the event, which was hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal.

Candidate Master Drayton, with a FIDE rating of 1,945, accumulated 6.5 points, inclusive of six victories and a draw against former national champion Taffin Khan.

Khan, with a FIDE rating of 1,928, finished second overall with five points, but suffered a huge loss to Ronuel Greenidge, who has a rating of 1,688. The lone female, Maria Varona-Thomas, also ended with five points.

The other four qualifying players were all locked on 4.5 points, enough to secure their passage to the main championship. They are Greenidge, Saeed Anwar Ali, Glenford Corlette and Loris Nathoo. 

Those who narrowly missed out on qualification were former national champion Kriskal Persaud, Roberto Neto, David Khan, Calvin Giddings and Errol Tiwari, all of whom finished on four points apiece. 

President of the Guyana Chess Federation, James Bond, was on hand to congratulate the seven players on their qualification to the National Championship later this year. He wished them well, noting that he expect a highly competitive tournament judging from what he witnessed in the Qualifier.