The Guyana Chess Federation’s Team One, consisting of CM Taffin Khan, FM Anthony Drayton, Jessica Callender, and Shazeeda Rahim, continues to perform excellently, with Khan, Drayton, and Rahim racking up most of the points for Guyana steadfastly holding on to the second position in the CARICOM Classic Chess Team Tournament. Taffin Khan has remained undefeated, winning all eight games played so far, while Anthony Drayton recorded seven wins and a draw. Shazeeda Rahim won five games, drew two, and lost one. Jessica Callender gained 2.5 points.
Team one was triumphant in round seven with match points 3.5-.5 against the Cayman Islands. Khan and Drayton defeated veterans Clifford Shaw and Christopher Young, while Rahim defeated young Zara Majid, and Callender drew with Laia Swaminathan.
In round eight, Team One dominated the Dominican team members Nigel Francis, Nicholas Goldberg, Zahidu Henry, and Ayani Casimir – 4-1.
Guyana’s Team Two, comprising Keron Sandiford, Kyle Couchman, Sasha Shariff, and Aditi Joshi, finally recorded a win in the week-long battle with the Caribbean nations against the Cayman Islands in the eighth round. The round-robin format saw Team Two coming up against Barbados in the seventh round and the Cayman Islands in the eighth round. The young Guyanese team lost to Barbados 1-3 but was victorious over their Cayman Islands counterparts 2.5-1.5.
Both female players on the team defeated their opponents from the Cayman Islands. Joshi playing white versus Zara Majid of the Cayman Islands playing black, were both embroiled in a ciltse game position. Joshi admitted she sacrificed a rook by taking Majid’s knight to relieve the pressure. Both players infiltrated each other’s territory, but Black missed a grave white threat. Joshi moved in with her Queen for a quick checkmate, and Majid lost. Sasha Shariff won Laia Swaminathan of the Cayman Islands in 24 moves. Shariff used her Knight to threaten her opponent’s King, but Shariff’s rook finally ended the game with checkmate.
Kyle Couchman drew with Christopher Young, while Keron Sandiford lost to Clifford Shaw.
The final round on Saturday will see Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana’s Team One battle for the CARICOM Classic Chess Title. The intense and exciting outcome of the inaugural CARICOM Classic tournament will depend on how well the home team performs.
After eight rounds, Trinidad and Tobago leads with 16 points, Guyana Team One with 14 points, Barbados with 12 points, Jamaica – with 11 points, Bahamas – with 7 points, Suriname, Saint Lucia, and the Cayman Islands – with 6 points, with Guyana Team Two and Dominica closing out the point spread. Games are live streamed on the Guyana Chess Federation’s website guyanachess.gy.