Varona-Thomas crowned Female Chess Champion

When the curtains came down on a busy chess weekend, FIDE Master (WFM) Maria Varona-Thomas found herself being crowned best female Chess player in the nation.
Guyana’s Female National Chess Championships were hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) over the course of Saturday and Sunday. They were the first competition of this kind to be held in Guyana. With a total of seven participants, the competition was organized not only to crown a champion, but to identify a five-member team to represent Guyana at the World Chess Championships.

Despite the small number of participants, the competition saw an exhibition of riveting chess action by the females. Known for her creative and aggressive style of play, (WFM) Varona-Thomas played undefeated, obtaining 5.5 points from her maximum 6 games. Having learnt to play under the highly recognized Cuban Chess Programmes, Varona-Thomas was the favourite for the tournament.
In a shocking twist, 16-year-old Nellisha Johnson beat her more qualified opponents to emerge as the second-placed candidate. Of their six games, Johnson and Candidate Master (CM) Sheriffa Ali gained four points each, but Johnson was awarded the second position because she had upset Ali on Saturday.
Having threatened her sister’s dominance by handing her a defeat in the second round, 15-year-old Waveney Johnson copped the fourth spot with 3.5 points. Prestigious lawyer, Chess Arbiter and FIDE Development Instructor, Ms. Yolander Persaud, took 5th position with 3 points from her 6 games.
On the male side of things, Anthony Drayton is expertly positioned to take the Georgetown Chess Classics crown, being 1.5 points ahead of the closest opponent. The final round of that competition is slated for Wednesday evening at the National Racquet Center conference room.