Next month should be a happily active one for T&T chess players, particularly the youngsters. They get the chance to play in two international tournaments at home, testing their skills against contemporaries from the Caribbean region.
The first of these events is the Caribbean Chess Carnival which takes place at the Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain over four days starting August 9. The second is the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Youth Festival which comes off at Cascadia Hotel, St Anns, from August 13 to 19.
As far as DR can remember, this is the first occasion when two major chess events, involving players from abroad, will be held back to back at home and we can only hope that our players will take full advantage of the opportunity thus presented to deepen and strengthen their skills and to win friends with players coming from other countries of the region.
The popular Chess Carnival, now in its 13th year, is again expected to attract leading players, particularly juniors, from across the Caribbean. Organisers of this international contest, T&T Chess Foundation, are preparing to welcome more than 100 participants to the seven round Swiss style tournament. According to Eddison Raphael, president of the Foundation, the contest at the Oval has become a major event on the country's chess calendar and this year it again promises to be a "funfilled, exciting and memorable event which they should not want to miss."
The Chess Carnival, again sponsored by First Citizens Asset Management, comprises six categories; Novices, Under-10, U-12, U-14 and U-20. Play in these age groups begins at 9 am each day. The Open section features two seven-round Blitz tournaments catering for all players on August 9 and August 10 starting at 6.30 pm.
Cash prizes will be awarded to players finishing in the first five places in each of the five junior categories. The winner among the U-20s will receive the top prize of $1,800. First place finishers in each of the other categories will earn $1,440, $1,080, $900 and $750, respectively.
Youngsters coming to Trinidad to participate in the CAC Youth Chess Festival should be particularly welcome. Only recently has the country begun to earn some recognition for hosting such well-established regional events and DR can only hope this trend will continue. Indeed, DR strongly endorses the appeal made by the organising committee for support "from the entire community in making this event a success."
For a regional event like this, where the reputation of our country is at stake, "the community" does not simply mean chess players but the wider citizenry as well, including both the public and private sectors. DR can only hope that the call for general assistants and the effort to organise a shuttle service to and from the tournament venue from San Fernando and Grand Bazaar, Curepe, will be fully supported.
The fact that T&TCA organisers are also calling for assistant arbiters indicates an inadequacy of such essential officials. Happily, this need should be adequately met by the FIDE Arbiters Seminar to be held simultaneously with the tournament at Cascadia, conducted by IA Chuit Perez of Cuba and IA Russel Smith of T&T.
Queries about the CAC Youth Festival and responses to its calls may be made by email to members of the organising committee, Sonja Johnson, T&TCA first vice president, Sandy Razack, secretary and Debra Walcott, treasurer.