Lee, Shariff take lead as GCF Grand Prix 3 commences

After four rounds of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) Third Grand Prix Chess Tournament, which commenced on March 16, Ethan Lee and Sasha Shariff lead in their respective open and female categories.
Lee is on 3.5 points after defeating Odit Rodrigues, Loris Nathoo, and Roberto Neto and drawing with CM Ronuel Greenidge.
Lee managed to defeat Nathoo after gaining the upper hand in the chaotic duel as the two players raced to checkmate. For Nathoo, it was the amassed pawn storm towards Lee’s defensive line. For Lee, it was the arrangement of his long-range bishops and queen towards Nathoo’s weakened kingside. As the time pressure piled on the players, both players scrambled for tricks and traps. Finally, it was Lee who got the upper hand against Nathoo. Nathoo’s race to Lee’s king had faltered, granting Lee the victory over the veteran player.

Lee v Greenidge was a slow but tactical game. Lee, with the white pieces, gained the upper hand early in the game, winning a pawn. This advantage began to snowball for Lee, as his pieces became more and more active and threatening. However, Greenidge’s precise end-game experience and inaccuracies by Lee led the game into a draw for the black pieces.
On 3 points are Nathoo and Rashad Hussain. Ronuel Greenidge, Roberto Neto, Kyle Couchman, Ricardo Narine, Keron Sandiford, and Jaden Taylor are all on 2.5 points. Other participants are Odit Rodrigues, Sachin Pitamber, Kishan Puran, Kim Shing Chong, Ethan Thakurdin, Tremusa Marshall, Rafael Park, and Alek Ubaldo-Singh.

Meanwhile, Shariff won against Jessica Callender, Emma John, and newcomer Anya De Groot, and drew with Aditi Joshi to gain 3.5 points.
Shariff’s game against Callender was even as they exited the opening, with Shariff having the advantage with a better pawn structure. The middle game then evolved into a series of tricks and traps involving both players’ knights. In the end, it was Shariff who outmanoeuvred Callender, securing a material advantage and cruised into a winning endgame and victory.
Joshi, Callender, Ciel Clement, and Treskole Archibald are on 2.5 points. Other female players are Kaija Clement, Nellisha Johnson, and Angelina Yhap.
The third series of the Grand Prix tourneys started on Saturday, March 16, and will conclude on March 24, 2024. The tournament is being held at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, and is sponsored by the Chess Federation. Cash prizes totalling $70,000 will awarded to the top three placements in the open and female categories. Grand Prix points will be calculated according to the rating system of the Grand Prix tourneys.
The Guyana Chess Federation 2024 Grand Prix series is part of the qualification system for the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, in September 2024. The four Grand Prix allows players to test their skills and work on improving their strategy for the opening, middle, and end games in a competitive setting. The final Grand Prix will be played later in June of this year. The National Open and Women’s Competitions are also part of the qualification system for the Olympiad.