Guyana’s eight-member Under-18 chess team departs for Suriname today to compete against the host nation and French Guiana at the Inter-Guiana Games from October 23 to 25.
The team comprises Nicholas Zhang, Darrel Abrams, Jeremy Cole and Abel Fernandez Ciria in the boys’ division, while Ciel Clement, Sana Sreebalakumar, Parnita Kishun and Emma John will represent Guyana in the girls’ competition.
Team manager Tanya Warren-Clement, coach Joshua Gopaul and National Arbiter Kim Shing Chong will accompany the players, many of whom are making their first international appearance.
The competition will follow a double round-robin format, with separate boys’ and girls’ divisions and up to four players representing each team per round. Games will be played under a classical time control of 60 minutes per player, with a 30-second increment per move.
The Guyana Chess Federation said the players earned their selection through their performances in national classical tournaments and would seek to build on Guyana’s success at last year’s Games, held at the National Racquet Centre in Guyana, where the national chess team won gold.
The federation said the tournament would provide the young players with an opportunity to gain international experience and test themselves against regional opposition.
The Inter-Guiana Games were first held in Suriname in 1967 to strengthen ties and promote youth development among Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The multi-sport event features eight disciplines: athletics, basketball, boxing, chess, futsal, judo, swimming and volleyball.
The Guyana Chess Federation also acknowledged the National Sports Commission for leading the organisation of Guyana’s contingent and wished the team success at the three-day competition.