Chess competitions among children welcome
Guyana’s finest chess players have departed for the Olympiad in Chennai, India, to face opponents from among 188 countries. Meanwhile, the U-14 National Open Rapid Championships were contested at home. The winners in the separate age groups were:
Boys: U-14 – Kyle Couchman; U-12 – Aquilani Swaminadha; U10 – Julian Mohabir; U-8 – Landon Mohabir.
Girls: U-14 – Ciel Clement; U-10 – Chelsea Harrison; U-8 – Arianna Binda.
It is a widely known and accepted fact in chess that prodigies are discovered at an early age. Chess is also one of the few sports or intellectual activities where children can compete with adults on equal ground. It is therefore necessary for the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) to continue to encourage these youth championships.
Furthermore, chess prodigies can become world champions. If they do not, they can enjoy lucrative careers and fame as grandmasters. Our neighbour Brazil produced a child prodigy, Henrique Mecking, some years ago. Mecking learned chess at age six, gave simultaneous displays at age nine, won the Brazilian championship at 13 and the South American Zonal at 14, and became an International Master at 15.
Additionally, he won two rigorous Interzonal Tournaments in a row at 21 and 24 and qualified to compete in the Candidates Tournament.
The Guyana team began playing their games at the
Olympiad this week. STR Wood Inc donated $500,000 to the team last week in a motivational gesture to encourage victories among the players. Meanwhile, the GCF will host the National U-16 Rapid Championships next Sunday at the Marian Academy.
Registration for the tournament can be done at guyanachess.org. In international news, world champion Magnus Carlsen has announced he will not defend his title in November. He said he defeated Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in the last world championship match and he lacks the motivation to play again. Chess Base quoted Carlsen as saying, “... although I’m sure a match would be interesting for historical reasons and all of that, I don’t have any inclination to play and I will simply not play the match.”
That means the second place finisher in the Candidates, China’s Ding Liren will now compete against Nepomniachtchi for the championship.