FIDE Deputy President Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand to visit opening today

International Chess Federation (FIDE) Deputy President and Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand will visit Guyana for the first time this weekend.
Grandmaster Anand, a five-time World Chess Champion, will be present for the opening of the inaugural Caricom Chess Team Tournament set for March 4 to March 9 at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, Guyana.
The Caricom classic chess tournament, the first of its kind, will be hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), in collaboration with the Caricom Secretariat. The much-awaited tournament has garnered sponsorship from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Texila American University; Enet; ExxonMobil; Republic Bank (Guyana) Ltd; Guyoil; KFC; Topco; NEW GPC INC; Rouge Salon and Spa; Platinum Investments; Optique Vision Care; Sterling Products Ltd; Marics & Co Ltd; Regency Mall; Semekiah Supercentre; GSK Inc; GuyCan Inc and Icon Investments.

Grandmaster Anand is an Indian chess grandmaster who won the World Chess Championship titles in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012. Anand became the first chess grandmaster from India in 1988 at 19 and has the eighth-highest peak FIDE rating of all time. In 2022, he was elected the Deputy President of FIDE, the International Chess Federation. FIDE is the governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions. His presence will be the highlight of this weekend’s opening ceremony for the Caricom tournament, a School Chess Festival, and a chess lecture.
On Saturday, March 2, the GCF hosted a School Chess Festival at the Texila American University for students from invited schools to meet and interact with the grandmaster. The event will also allow prospective students the opportunity to tour the university campus. Students from Texila will also have a chance to interact with GM Anand.
Today, Sunday, March 3, the University of Guyana will host a lecture by GM Anand at its Turkeyen campus in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre. The estimated two-hour event will include an interactive portion where members in attendance can ask about game tips, challenges, and opportunities that arise in the discipline of competitive chess.
The Federation has extended its deepest appreciation to its generous sponsors who came on board to support the event. Without the sponsors’ invaluable support, this inaugural event would not have been possible. Thanks to the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel for its support and sponsorship. Furthermore, the GCF also wished to thank the Confederation of Chess for the Americas (CCA) and FIDE for their kind support.
The GCF wholeheartedly welcomes GM Anand to Guyana. His presence promises to be perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our enthusiastic chess players to meet and interact with a five-time world champion. We wish GM Anand an enjoyable stay with us in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.