Winners of the recently held National Under-12 Rapid Chess Championship were rewarded for their outstanding performance at the Grand Coastal Inn, East Coast Demerara.
The seven-round rapid tournament concluded on January 15, with Alexander Zhang earning the Under-12 National title and Kristin Xavier becoming the first-ever Under-12 female champion.
Winner across the various categories received trophies, medals, gift bags and certificates.
Notably, this championship had not been held since 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was also the first time it has been held online.
The Guyana Chess Federation praised the discipline and dedication of the youth and cadet players, noting their excellent performance throughout the tournament. These players are expected to participate in more tournaments throughout the year.
Frankie Farley, President of the Guyana Chess Federation, noted that with today’s technology, it is now possible to teach the game to hundreds of youths across the country.
“Information and learning materials are much more accessible for persons who want to learn chess than there was in the past,” Farley said.
He recalled the challenges he faced in his time as a young player, of visiting the National Library to find books on chess in the reference section.
Sometimes, he would spend hours trying to understand the text until it was time to leave, only to return the next day to find the page he was studying, torn out of the book.
DeSinco’s Chief Executive Officer Alicia DeAbreu representing the company and its Lifebuoy brand expressed her gratitude to the parents of the players of the tournament, for their active encouragement and support of their children in chess.
She also praised their initiative and forward-thinking in recognising the value of learning chess and all the benefits it brings to young minds.
DeSinco has also given a commitment to sponsor more chess tournaments for the remainder of the year.
Anand Raghunauth, Vice-President of the Guyana Chess Federation, has urged the youths to continue participating in these tournaments, citing that more opportunities for both local and international play will arise for these young players in 2022 and onwards.
He also noted that membership has tripled in the federation over the last three months due to the expansion of the Federation’s ‘Chess in Schools’ programme.
As the game has begun to venture out of Georgetown, there are plans to bring chess into Linden and Essequibo later this year.
The Guyana Chess Federation also aims to bring chess to athletes in other disciplines in the future, as the skill learned from chess can benefit persons in all areas.
The Federation wishes to thank all those who participated and those who made the presentation a success.
“Special thanks to Mr. Mohamed Khan and family who have assisted greatly in this venture as well as the management and staff of the Grand Coastal Inn,” the Federation noted.
