Chess to be introduced to special needs schools across Guyana

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has been working in collaboration with Sabine McIntosh, Managing Director of the Deaf Association of Guyana Inc., to make chess more accessible to children with special needs.

This is part of the GCF’s mandate to make chess more accessible to all children across Guyana.
To date, Sabine McIntosh has reached out to six schools: David Rose Special School, New Amsterdam Special Needs School, Schoonord Centre for Children with Diverse Needs, Gifted Hands Learning Centre for Special Needs, Annai Learning Centre, and the Harold B. Davis Special School at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre.
Two students have shown interest and aptitude in the sport at the Schoonord Centre for Children with Diverse Needs. Classes began there on March 10th and continue weekly.

At the David Rose Special School, 26 students will be exposed to chess next term. There are plans to form a small chess club there for students showing strong promise and interest in the sport. Oxana Cox, a deaf teacher’s assistant who previously had some chess training, will conduct introductory sessions until the students are ready for more advanced training. Cox will next term also conduct sessions at the Gifted Hands Learning Centre for Special Needs, where two students have shown interest.
Moreover, training will begin soon at the New Amsterdam Special Needs School. Due to the pandemic and irregular attendance, a core group has not been identified. In the meantime, Teneisha Isaacs, a deaf teacher’s assistant who had some previous chess training, will do preliminary instructions.
At the Annai Learning Centre, Senior Councillor Zalita Moses is facilitating the teaching of two students.
Dr. Mellisa Corlette, Head of the Harold B. Davis Special School at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, has agreed to conduct weekly sessions, beginning next term. Six students have been listed as potential participants. Two male chess players, former students of the David Rose School, have volunteered to assist with the initiative.
Prior to the pandemic, there were numerous training and workshop opportunities at various institutions for students who are hearing impaired. Unfortunately, those programmes and initiatives suffered as a result of COVID-19, due to difficulties in connecting with these players virtually, and the lack of amenities to do so effectively.
Schools such as David Rose Special Needs School, New Amsterdam Special Needs School, Special Needs School East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Tuschen Deaf Academy had previously had annual chess workshops for the hearing-impaired. Those were facilitated by the Deaf Association of Guyana, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, through the National Sports Commission.
Despite challenges in engaging chess players with special needs during the pandemic, 12-year-old Anaya Lall, a student of Tuschen Deaf Academy, defied the odds and excelled in the game both locally and internationally.
Throughout the pandemic, she participated in a number of local online tournaments, and also represented Guyana at the Online Youth and Cadet World Rapid Championships. She went on to become the first deaf chess player to represent Guyana internationally, at the 4th FIDE World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities.