Inaugural Caricom Classic Chess tournament: Guyanese players off to smooth start
Chess players from participating territories made creditable efforts against their Caribbean counterparts to secure wins or draws in the Caricom Classic Team tournament that commenced at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel on Monday, March 4th, 2024.
The first-day highlights started with the eight-member Guyanese contingent facing each other to contest the first round. In the afternoon, the two Guyana teams played their round-two matches against Trinidad and Tobago & Jamaica.
For Guyana Team Two, reigning Junior Champion Keron Sandiford (1741) was paired with Joshua Johnson (2324) of Trinidad and Tobago. Kyle Couchman (1756) met Trinidad player Quinn Cabralis (2149), while Ysvett Hermoso Rodriguez (1959) played against former women’s champion Sasha Shariff (1567). Aditi Joshi (1605), playing board four for Guyana, met Zara La Fleur (1790) of Trinidad and Tobago.
GM Anand making the ceremonial first move of the second round of the Caricom Classic
The Guyana Team One match-ups were against the Jamaican team. Nathan Hinds (1988), played white against Guyanese CM Taffin Khan’s (2000) black. Guyanese FM Anthony Drayton (1936), played white against Jhustice McDonald’s (1893) black, Adani Clarke (1905) played white against current women’s champion Jessica Callender’s (1585) black, while Guyanese Shazeeda Rahim (1559)played white against Jamaican Krishna Gray’s (1789) black.
Trinidad going against Guyana Team 2 in Round 2
In round two of the tournament, Guyanese Shazeeda Rahim (1559) (ratings) accepted a draw offer from higher-rated Trinidadian opponent Krishna Gray (1789). Kyle Couchman (1756) made the draw offer to higher-rated Trinidadian (2149) Quinn Cabralis, who accepted.
Reigning Guyanese National Open Champion Taffin Khan (2000) secured his first win over a participant with an unstoppable passed pawn over Jamaican Nathan Hinds (1988). Both players were engaged in an endgame struggle with hostile knights and pawns, but Khan prevailed.
In another match-up, a jubilant Keron Sandiford (1741) walked away with a draw over his much higher-rated Trinidadian opponent FM Joshua Johnson (2324). Sandiford offered his opponent a truce, and it was accepted. Drayton (1936) finished his match with Jamaican Jhustice McDonald (1893) in what was deemed a theoretical draw.
The Guyanese Team One drew with the Jamaican team in round 2, but Guyanese Team 2 succumbed to Trinidad and Tobago.
