Candidate Master (TF) Taffin Khan is currently in the lead as the second GAICO sponsored Grand Prix tournament reaches its halfway mark.
Khan is one of only two titled players in the tournament, which is being contested by 24 participants.
Khan is the only player on four points after four rounds of intense competition. He has so far defeated Mayas Khan, Frankie Farley, Justino De Silva and Jarell Troyer.
The Candidate Master is the highest rated player in the tournament with a FIDE rating of 2018.
As he heads into the final four rounds of competition this Saturday and Sunday unbeaten, he is followed closely by Loris Nathoo in second place on 3.5 points. Errol Tiwari, Frankie Farley and FM Anthony Drayton are in third to fifth places respectively, all on three points.
The leading female chess players- Sherlyta Campayne, Pooja Lam, Sasha Shariff, Anaya Lall, Jessica Callender and Maliha Rajkumar- are all locked on two points approaching this weekend’s games.
Rounds five to eight will be played on Saturday (April 30) and Sunday (May 1) at the National Stadium, Providence. Trophies will be awarded to the best female player in the tournament, as well as the top male and female junior players.
Trophies and cash prizes will be offered to the top three finishers in the tournament, while medals will be given to the fourth to 10th place finishers.
“The Guyana Chess Federation wishes to express its gratitude to GAICO Construction and General Services Inc. for its generous sponsorship of the three Grand Prix tournaments,” the Federation said.
The tournament is being supervised by FIDE Arbiters John Lee, Anand Raghunaught and Irshad Mohamed.
