Sasha Shariff off to Women’s Chess Championship in Puerto Rico

Runner-up of the Guyana Chess Federation’s National Women’s Championship Sasha Shariff is off to Puerto Rico to represent Guyana at the Women’s Chess Championship from October 24 to November 1.

The Guyana Chess Federation made the announcement, highlighting that reigning champion Jessica Callender “was unable to meet the criteria for the travel requirements to Puerto Rico.”

Below is the press release issued by the Federation

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) is delighted to announce that it has sent 20-year old Sasha Shariff to participate in the Women’s Chess Championship in Puerto Rico.

This momentous event underscores the commitment of the GCF to promoting and supporting women’s participation in the world of chess.

The tournament, a collaboration between the Chess Confederation for America (CCA) and the Puerto Rico Chess Federation (FAPR) will take place from October 24 through November 1, 2023, in the city of Carolina, Puerto Rico, and will bring together some of the finest female chess players from around the Americas and the Caribbean.

The event will take place at the Verdanza Hotel in the tourist area of Isla Verde.

The GCF representative, who participated in last year’s Olympiad in Chennai and who earned herself a Conditional Women’s title, will play in the nine-round Swiss system over the coming days with games starting at 11:00h and 17:00h daily.

Shariff, the holder of the Women’s Championship title in 2020 and who placed second in the Women’s Championship in 2022 and 2023, took the place of current Women’s National Champion, Jessica Callender, who was unable to meet the criteria for the travel requirements to Puerto Rico.

The Guyana Chess Federation is proud to provide support for Ms. Shariff in her pursuit of growth and excellence.

The Federation believes that encouraging and empowering women in chess is essential to the growth and development of the sport in Guyana.

Anand Raghunauth, President of the Guyana Chess Federation, stated, “We are extremely proud of the development of the women and girls in chess over the past years. Tournaments such as this provides a platform for women to showcase their talent on an international stage. We hope that events like this will inspire more women and girls in Guyana to take up chess and follow their passion.”

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) is the governing body for chess in Guyana. Committed to promoting chess at all levels and fostering the growth of the game, the GCF organises various tournaments, events, and training to encourage and develop local chess talent.

The tournament games are live-streamed on chess-results.com. To find out more about the Guyana Chess Federation, please visit the website guyanachess.gy.