For many years the players who qualified in Tobago to vie for the national chess championionship have been Trinidadians.
The reason for this apparent anomaly, of course, has been the lack of any kind of consistent organisation or promotion of the sport in Tobago. If chess was played during this period it was largely as a recreational pastime among a few diehard veterans whose challenge for national honours now makes ancient history.
As a result, the annual open Tobago qualifier, one of four such contests in the country, became quite attractive to a group of ambitious Trini players who would regularly fly to the island seeking another and less competitive entry into the national finals.
The current year, however, has seen a somewhat dramatic change to this odd pattern. The long Trini domination of the Tobago qualifier may well have ended with the impressive victory of Dr Sean Nedd who finished the six round 16-player contest on five and a half points. Tobago-born Dr Nedd, who gained his doctorate in chemistry at US universities, defeated a string of five Trini entrants conceding only one draw to youngster CM Sean Yearwood. His "conquests" included such prominent players as FM Joshua Johnson, Frank Sears, Sylvan Seaforth, David Maynard and Lewson Thomas.
Dr Nedd who honed his chess skills in both over-the-board play and computer competition may well be the first Tobagonian to enter the finals for the national championship. This feat alone creates chess history, but it would certainly become indelible if he should succeed in winning the country's chess crown. Dr Nedd's participation thus creates a fascinating prospect in this year's race to the title.
Dr Nedd's victory in the Tobago qualifier coincides with an increasing surge of chess development on the island. This is largely the result of a regular training programme at the island's secondary schools undertaken by the Tobago Chess Society under president Sibel James assisted by a team of senior players including vice president Lawson Thomas, Dr Nedd, and veterans Tuku Moheini, Vaughn Laptiste, Clayton Rogers and Nigel Duke. The Society's programme now coincides with the effort undertaken about three years ago by the T&T Chess Foundation in partnership with the RAND Credit Union. It also runs alongside chess activity at the Pentecostal Light and Life High School overseered by Joel Peters.
James expressed the Society's gratitude to the T&TCA, the Ministry for Tobago Development and the Scarborough Library for their assistance. While he is pleased with the progress of the sport on the island, including success of Tobago's first Open tournament in 2014, James notes that expansionist work of the Society is still handicapped by a lack of funds. Chess, he believes, can also help to build a better society in Tobago and he appeals for greater support for the Society's efforts particularly among the island's young people.
His hope is that the Tobago Open to be held by the Society in August will get the support it needs.
Chess in Tobago is moving ahead, and the expectation is that, sooner or later, its national qualifier will no longer be dominated by incoming Trinis.