Chess students challenged to develop great skills

Apr 26, 2009 Sports

Chess Grandmaster Rainer Buhmann (centre) competes with one of his challengers during a display of facing multiple opponents yesterday at QC, while Prime Minister Samuel Hinds (standing left) appreciates the moment.

After finding itself sidelined for over two decades, the sport of Chess has been making a strong resurgence and it could now be classified as one of the fastest growing sports locally.
And if one is to judge from the turnout and enthusiasm displayed by students who participated in yesterday’s simultaneous exhibition against visiting German Grandmaster Rainer Buhmann in the Queens’s College Auditorium, then the earlier pronouncement must be accurate.
Buhmann, who departs today to compete in the Heroes Day Chess Cup Tournament in Barbados, challenged over thirty students, playing them simultaneously in the presence of Prime Minister the Honourable Samuel Hinds, Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) President Errol Tiwari, parents and other enthusiasts of the game.
Prime Minister Hinds, who was officially introduced to the German Grandmaster by Dr. Anthony in a brief address, while admitting that Guyana do not have many schools where the game is being taught, called on the young players to take full advantage of the Grandmaster’s presence.
“We don’t have many schools here that teach Chess so we more or less have to depend on natural talent,” Hinds told the gathering. “I hope that from amongst you, there are a few who go on to develop great skills in the game,” he stated.
He then commended the Minister and the GCF for generating the enthusiasm in the sport, adding that hopefully out of the exercise a genius could develop.
Dr. Anthony in his presentation restated the focus of his Ministry and the GCF which is to work with the schools, disclosing that over the past two years, the partners have been working really hard to get the game developed.
“The teachers play a very big role in motivating students and that is why we’ve trained our focus in the schools.”
He added that without the commitment and effort from parents it would’ve been difficult to get such a positive result. Dr. Anthony said that it was because of the hard work done by the Ministry and the GCF which was chiefly responsible for the Grandmaster’s visit.
The day’s activity saw students from Berbice, West Demerara and Linden participate and according to Tiwari, these are the areas where the sport is being played consistently.
Grandmaster Buhmann conducted a similar exercise over on the West Demerara last Friday.
Meanwhile, all the students who were part of the display received certificates of participation.

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