Guyana Times Sport have introduced a weekly Chess Column, Check Mate, mainly for fans and prospective fans of the game. The column will be authored by 22 year old Jessica Clementson.
Jessica Clementson
The young Guyanese student was introduced to chess in 2009, and after she took a liking to the board game she underwent personal training to improve her skills. She played her first tournament that same year and gained the awe of her competitors. Over time, she has expanded upon her range and a player and figure of the game in Guyana, especially towards females.
In 2010, she joined the Royal Chess Academy and worked with the underprivileged residents of Albouystown for quite some time. She also established a chess club at School of the Nations. In 2012, she formed The U-Knighted Chess Club with the mission to promote this intriguing game to youths.
Even though she is kept busy with studies, she has been quite active as a competitive player. In 2011, she played in the regional conglomerate of team sports, the Inter Guiana Games (IGG), and the Sagicor Open in Barbados. The next year she once again participated in the Inter Guiana Games, the Sagicor Open, as well as the Barbados Nationals, where she garnered the coveted award of Best Female.
Later that year, she participated in the Inter-School Chess Championships where she led School of the Nations to the title. Clementson was also awarded the title of Best Female.
In 2013, she again took part in the Sagicor Open in Barbados, and in the following year, she was part of the Guyana team to the Inter Guiana Games, where they placed second.
Keeping up with her competitive nature, she also participated in the UMADA Cup and Guyana’s National Junior Chess Championship Qualifiers.
Last year proved to be eventful as she continued to play in the Barbados SCL Rated Tournament, Sub-Zonal 2.3.5 in Barbados. She was also a part of the Guyana’s first Female team at the World Chess Olympiad held in Baku, Azerbaijan. She volunteered as a Chess Arbiter for the Massy Barbados Inter-School Championships.
The weekly column, Check Mate will be published on Wednesdays.
