Top players confirmed for third GAICO Chess tournament

The third GAICO Construction Grand Prix chess tournament is set for Saturday (November 2) at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal. Top-rated local players are expected to engage in battle as they seek to gain valuable points in the overall championship.

Reigning National Senior Chess Champion Anthony Drayton is among the players to participate. He is confident of defeating all his opponents, noting that he will play his “best chess.”

The intense Seven Round competition will once again see the country’s seasoned chess players in battle over the chess board to accumulate Grand Prix points and qualify for the 2020 Chess Olympiad.

Registration starts at 13:00h at the venue and Round One begins one hour later. All chess players are invited.

The fee for seniors is $500 each and juniors are free. The time control per player for each round is 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment after every move.

The first GAICO tournament was won by Wendell Meusa and the second, which ended on October 19, was won by Taffin Khan; both players are former National Chess Champions.

Players are already accumulating Grand Prix points, following the two GAICO Construction tournaments are: Taffin Khan (39), Loris Nathoo (26), Wendell Meusa (22), Davion Mars (20), Ronuel Greenidge (17),

Frankie Farley and Glenford Corlette (8 each), Shiv Nandalall and Roberto Neto (7 each), Errol Tiwari (5), and Joshua Gopaul, Ethan Lee and Justino Da Silva (3 each).

Six tournaments have been identified by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) in a rigorous process to earn Grand Prix points.

The four remaining tournaments are the third and fourth GAICO Construction tournaments, the National Senior Championship Qualifiers and the 2020 National Senior Chess Championship.

There are still points to be earned in the remaining tournaments. The GCF therefore encourages chess players who have not entered the Grand Prix series to participate.