YOUTH CHESS TRAINING SUCCESSFUL IN REGION 3

More than 50 young players gathered at the National Track and Field Centre in  Leonora last weekend, May 9th–10th, for a comprehensive two-day youth chess  workshop. Sponsored by International Import and Supplies and the Guyana  Chess Federation (GCF), the workshop successfully initiated the federation’s  expansion program within Region 3. 

The program drew a diverse crowd of students and teachers from nine local  schools, offering tailored instruction for every skill level. Absolute beginners  learnt the fundamentals—from piece movement to essential checkmating  patterns—while intermediate players sharpened their tactics through complex  puzzles and opening theory. The five-hour sessions saw high engagement from  all participants, including a strong showing of 23 female players. Beyond the  board, the initiative provided complimentary meals and refreshments, ensuring  students could focus entirely on developing their critical thinking skills. To sustain  this momentum, the GCF awarded chess sets to the schools with the most  attendance to help launch their internal chess clubs. Leonora Secondary, West  Demerara Secondary, Qayyim Academy, and De Willem Secondary had the most  attendance. Other participating schools were Leonora Primary, Stewartville  Secondary, Zeeburg Secondary, Cornelia Ida Primary and Modern Foundation  Academy.  

The workshop welcomed a mix of new faces and returning players, including  several young women and teachers who had attended the previous week’s Girls’  Chess Workshop. This continuity allowed students to transition seamlessly from  theory to practice.  

On Sunday, forty eager participants put their new skills to the test in a  competitive mini-tournament. For many, this was their first experience playing  with chess clocks under formal tournament conditions. After six rounds of  intense play, trophies and chess sets were awarded to the top six finishers and  the Best Female Performer, while other participants received prizes to  commemorate their progress. The top six performers of the tournament were  Deandre Mohammed from Qayyim Academy, Kemari Peters from West  Demerara Secondary, Jaquan Browne from Stewartville Secondary, Christian  Campbell from Qayyim Academy, Jairam Thackurdeen from West Demerara, and  Samuel George from Qayyim Academy. The Best Female prize went to Zafirah  Bremner from Qayyim Academy. 

The GCF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Unit of Allied  Arts, spearheaded the training to foster awareness among primary and  secondary level students. GCF chess coaches CM Taffin Khan, Nellisha Johnson  and Marcia Lee headed the training sessions of the students, while John Lee  assisted with the tournament.  

GCF President Anand Raghunauth noted the significance of the turnout,  emphasizing that chess is now a reality for several schools across the West Coast  of Demerara. He reaffirmed the Federation’s commitment to supporting these  institutions, noting that the GCF will maintain active engagement with school  administrations to ensure chess becomes a permanent fixture in their  extracurricular development. 

The GCF would like to thank the National Sports Commission for providing a  comfortable venue for the training. Gratitude to International Import and  Supplies for their commitment and continuous support to the GCF.