The University of Guyana Chess Team participated in the recently held XVII Juegos Deportes Universitarios Centro Americanos y Del Caribe Colombian Mayo 20-26 2019, and gained third place overall, after competing against some of the top nations in chess.
UG chess coach Ronuel Greenidge standing on the third-place podium
Coach of this UG side, Ronuel Greenidge, has expressed his great pleasure at the team’s overall performance.
The participating players were: Davion Mars, who gained 3 of 5 points in the male classical category to help the team secure 3rd place; Andre Jagnandan, who stepped up to the challenge and held on to critical draws against a much-higher-rated Gonzalez Delgado Hugo Andres from Costa Rica, who is rated 1871, and another lower rated opponent, to add to the team’s tally; and Sidney Nelson, who also amassed 2 points to bring the team’s tally up to 6 points, thereby securing third place in the classical senior male team category.
In the blitz category, the team managed to secure another bronze with recorded points by Mars, Nelson and Jagnandan.
The lone female team member to participate was Anicia Patterson. She is the current female chess champion at the University of Guyana. For her, the journey was more of an experience, as, while she did not secure a point, she gained valuable ‘intel’, as this was her first international outing.
Speaking with <<Guyana Times Sport>> on his team’s performance, Greenidge said, “I’m pleased, considering the effort they put into it. They needed more tournament experience to place higher. The Costa Ricans have about 15 classical tournaments a year, besides ‘rapid’ and ‘blitz’. Also, the members on the chess squad are on full academic scholarships, so chess is very serious for them. The major disadvantage the player faced was their inability to adapt to the climate and food.”
Despite the inevitable setbacks, the UG side was able to dig deep and secure a place on the podium. For now, the chess team will be training, as its members will be working to up their game and go for gold in the upcoming University Games 2020.
