A glimpse of what to expect in the GCF Grand Prix series
The Guyana Chess Federation, in collaboration with tournament sponsor International Import & Supplies, will embark on the second leg of the 2024 GCF Grand Prix series in February.
The consecutive weekend event, being played at the National Stadium, Providence, will begin this weekend, February 3rd–4th, and continue on 10th–11th February. The Grand Prix 2 tournament will consist of 8 rounds under a time control of 90 minutes, with 30 seconds of additional time after each move. Matches will be assigned using the Swiss system for the tournament. The GCF expects a strong turnout of players, including those who competed in the Grand Prix One event.
The lineup of players, a mix of seniors and juniors, will compete in 2 divisions: the open and female. The sponsor, International Import & Supplies, has provided a prize fund of $70,000, and the top 3 finishers in each division will take home $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000.
The tournament is FIDE (International Chess Federation)-rated, allowing players to improve their international rating with each point gained throughout the event.
Grand Prix one winner, National Junior Champion Keron Sandiford, and runner-up Kyle Couchman will return to contest the open division, while Shazeeda Rahim, back from her hiatus, will compete to hold her lead along with rising star Aditi Joshi and reigning Women’s Champion Jessica Callender. The tournament would also feature veteran player Candidate Master Ronuel Greenidge, who is returning to the national chess scene after four years.
The Guyana Chess Federation’s 2024 Grand Prix series is part of the qualification system for the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary in September this year. This event will provide more opportunities for players to test their skills and work on improving their strategies for the opening, middle and endgame.
The Federation welcomes its new sponsor, International Import and Supplies, to the Guyana chess community, and extends its sincere thanks for their support and commitment to the development of chess. The GCF looks forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with IIS, one of the premier names in the construction industry.
