Two of Guyana’s leading chess players, Wendell Meusa and Taffin Khan, proved their prowess in the Engineering and Construction Inc. (ECI) annual chess tournament, as they finished way above the competition after the completion of the mandatory seven rounds.
Both players accumulated 6.5 points, after chalking up six victories and a draw each. This forced the organizers to implement the tie-breaker, which resulted in Meusa being crowned champion, leaving Khan to settle for the second spot.
FIDE Candidate Master Anthony Drayton, who at one point of the competition was leading the points standing, finished third with five points, followed by six players who were locked on four points apiece.
A representative of ECI (seated centre) is flanked by the top performers of the tournament. Seated right is overall winner Wendell Meusa, while runner-up Taffin Khan is standing at second left
They were Maria Thomas, former Guyana Chess Federation president Errol Tiwari, Davion Mars, Chino Chung, Ghansham Allijohn and John Wong.
Roberto Neto amassed 3.5 points, while Kristoff Persaud, Obeng Quamina, and Nellisha Johnson all scored three points each.
Calvin Giddings managed 2.5 points, while Jessica Callender and Jayden Taylor finished with two apiece, and Shazeeda Rahim brought up the rear with a solitary point.
The seven-round tournament was played under the Swiss format, and was coordinated by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF). President of the GCF, Irshad Mohamed, congratulated the top performers and reserved special gratitude for ECI for once again showing an interest in the development of chess in Guyana.
He also thanked the National Sports Commission for providing the National Resource Centre at Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, as the venue for the tournament. Mohamed further stated that more tournaments will be held in the coming months, as the Federation seeks to provide more avenues for players to hone their skills.
