Raghunauth returns unopposed as Chess Federation president

Anand Raghunauth will serve another consecutive term as President of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), following the Federation’s biennial National Conference held virtually on Sunday, November 16, 2025.

Raghunauth and his entire slate for the 2025-2027 Board of Directors returned to office unopposed, as declared by the Returning Officer, Attorney at Law, Mrs. Tanya Warren Clement.

Returning as Vice-President is Irshad Mohamad, Company Secretary Marcia Lee; and Directors Loris Nathoo, Davion Mars, Shiv Nandalall and Yolander Sammy.

Committee members serving on the Board are John Lee, Pritima Balgobin, Gilbert Williams, Sabine McIntosh, and new addition Roberto Neto.

The meeting also highlighted the achievements and events of the last two years and the financial report of 2024.

President Raghunauth presented his report detailing the partnership and enhanced level of support to the GCF by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the Confederation of Chess for the Americas (CCA), and the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission.

Raghunauth noted the growth in membership and acknowledged the growth of chess among school children through the Chess in Education programme, which was bolstered significantly by the Ministry of Education’s Priority Areas Programme in schools around Georgetown, resulting in more than 2000 children being exposed to the game of chess.

Raghunauth noted the landmark achievement of the GCF with the successful conceptualisation and execution of the CARICOM Classic Chess Tournament, which saw its inaugural event in 2024 and a successful second edition in 2025.

He mentioned significant investment was made in the Special Education Needs schools, where training programmes and competitive chess were introduced to both teachers and students.

The GCF received recognition when two deaf chess players won the Sportswoman-of-the-Year for Persons with Disabilities award from the National Sports Commission for 2023 and 2024.

The President highlighted the growth of chess through the chess clubs at School of the Nations, the Pegasus Chess Club, the distribution of chess sets to school students by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the Gift of Chess programme, and the expansion of rated chess players in Guyana.

Raghunauth credited the GCF’s accomplishments to its hard-working and dedicated management team.

In his Financial Report presentation, Loris Nathoo, Chief Financial Officer, highlighted the two international tournaments, the CARICOM Classic and the Chess Olympiad, that the GCF would have required an enormous amount of funding, and these came from FIDE, the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission, and tremendous support from Corporate Guyana.

Nathoo also stated that the cost of the National tournaments and other tournaments requires funding, which the GCF was able to obtain from Corporate Guyana.

He reported that the federation is now in a position to sponsor some of the smaller rapid and blitz tournaments as compared to the previous years when this was not possible. Raghunauth and his team thanked the membership for their support over the years.

The new Board of Directors will serve for the next two years, concentrating on the continued development of chess within the country, with plans for expansion in some regions as its main goal. (Press Release from the Guyana Chess Federation)