Woman Candidate Master Sasha Shariff leads the National Women’s Chess Qualifiers after four rounds of battle over the chessboard. The Diamond Insurance-sponsored competition commenced last Saturday, March 1st, 2025, at the David Rose Special School with twenty registrants. Following the classical time control of 90 minutes plus 5-second increments added to the clock after each move for each player, Shariff easily defeated her opponents Rebha Lachhman, Amaya Sharma, Aniyah Couchman and Emma John, to claim victory in the four rounds played so far.
In the fourth round, Shariff and Emma John were matched in a struggle over the board that ended in less than 50 moves. Shariff, with the black pieces, used her two menacing Rooks on open files to undermine the defences of her opponent’s King. But the resourceful John fought valiantly to protect her monarch from checkmate. However, Shariff successfully breached her opponent’s defences after winning a piece and executed a checkmate with her Queen and Rook on move 47.
Couchman, WCM Aditi Joshi, Ciel Clement, Nellisha Johnson, and Italy Ton Chung are all on three points, followed by John with two and a half points. Lachhman, Treskole Archibald, Angelina Yhap, Kaija Clement, Abigail Jairam, Kataleya Sam, and Lusianna Farlot are all on two points.
The FIDE-rated competition remains fierce for Shariff, particularly from WCM Aditi Joshi, a recognized force on the chessboard. The top female contenders, veterans of countless battles, have proven their mettle time and again, promising a thrilling contest.
Fourteen-year-old Jairam, a deaf player from the New Amsterdam Special Needs School, is making her debut at the National Women’s Qualifiers. Her enthusiasm and resilience are a valuable addition to the competition.
The remaining rounds continue on Saturday and Sunday, March 8th and 9th, after which the top nine young ladies will emerge to challenge the National Women’s Champion, WCM Jessica Callender, for the 2025 National Women’s Title. Games are being live-streamed on livechesscloud.com under the watchful eyes of FIDE Arbiter John Lee.
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has actively cultivated a stronger female presence in chess and remains committed to widening its female base. Female focused competitions, chess camps, and training sessions have effectively broadened the base of female participants.
The GCF thanks its sponsor, Diamond Fire and General Insurance, for their unwavering support of the Women’s National Chess Championships.
