Latest update September 3rd, 2026 10:25 AM
Moen Gafoor prevails in CARICOM Open competition
GASP plans workshop for beginners
By Michael Benjamin
Persons with a desire to become acquainted with the intricacies of scrabble can now do so at a workshop organised by the executive of the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) slated to get underway at the Old Guyana National Service Sports Complex, Carifesta Avenue starting from Saturday.
James Krakowsky made this announcement, moments after the GASP CARICOM Day Open tournament concluded at the Malteenoes Sports Club last evening.
Krakowsky is an integral part of the organising committee.
He disclosed that the training sessions would serve as a precursor to a countrywide School Scrabble Club programme. He said that GASP would be targeting all the schools in an effort to popularize the game and the first phase of the programme would involve schools around the Georgetown areas.
Krakowsky further intimated that students attending schools in the outlying areas are free to attend the sessions. Subsequently, GASP executives plan to branch off to schools in other remote parts of Guyana. At the end of the training period, the students would have an opportunity to exhibit their skills at an inter-school tournament to be organised by GASP.
Caricom Open Scrabble champion Moen Gafoor is flanked by Fred Collins (R) and Julian Skeete (L) shortly after they were declared 1st, 2nd and 3rd places, respectively.
Meanwhile, the top rated scrabble players are now coming to the realisation that it is no longer easy to predict the occupants of the three premiere podium positions, at the end of tournaments.
The younger players are now coming into their own and challenging those positions with such frequency that it behooves the rated players to practice more earnestly if only to retain their coveted rankings.
This fact became more obvious at the CARICOM Open championships. Moen Gafoor defied several top rated players, the likes of former national champion, Fred Collins, Ulric Harris and James Krakowsky, to register a flawless six games and a positive spread of 330 to cart off the honours in that tournament.
Collins romped in second with five games and a positive spread of 421, while Julian Skeete completed the podium positions with four games and a positive spread of 476.
In total, five of the players amassed four games apiece and were separated by dint of their spreads. Ulric Harris, Orlando Michael, Colin Chichester, Maurice Munroe and Yvonne Murray were all grouped in this set.
Gafoor stated his intention from the onset when he blew away Nicholas Grant by a spread of 195. He then eked past Collins (16), and Krakowsky (23) to cap off a successful pre-lunch period on three points and a positive spread of 134.
Ulric Harris put up a valiant fight in the first game after the lunch period, but the in form Gafoor refused to let the former player’s determination break his winning streak. It was a keen tussle, but Gafoor eventually prevailed by a slim five points margin.
Harris’ spirited challenge in the fourth round was emulated by Orlando Michael in the fifth. He threw down the gauntlet on the eventual winner but the in form Gafoor rallied home to win by a mere point.
Gafoor was then matched against Collin Chichester in the final round, but by now, with his adrenaline flowing, he outplayed Chichester to take the game and the championship trophy.
Tournament director, Orlando Michael complimented the players for the keen rivalry displayed. He also noted that the tournament attracted the largest number of competitors for sometime, while attributing this to the strenuous efforts of the GASP executive.
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