IRSHAD Mohamad was almost without fail on his way to a double victory over the weekend, which crowned him the champion of the April Open Chess Tournament.
The online blitz and the quick contests attracted several big names, but Mohamad, a former president of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), managed to defeat almost all of them.
His only disruption over the 14 rounds of play was a loss to current GCF president Frankie Farley on Sunday in the fast. A day earlier, he had been held to a tie each against former national champion Anthony Drayton and Justino DaSilva in the blitz.
After two days of struggle, Mohamad finished with 24 points overall, Drayton placed second with 21 points and the 2020 National Speed and Blitz champion, Davion Mars was third at 20 points.
Glenford Corlette and Loris Nathoo were tied at 20 points each, while Farley and DaSilva finished at 19 points each.
Keron Saniford, meanwhile, finished as the best junior in the tournament. He collected 18 points over both contests. Second place went to Ricardo Narine, who finished with 16 points.
Oluwadare Clement Oyeyipo placed third with 15 points, while Jaden Taylor was fourth and Kishan Puran fifth.
Nearly 40 chess players (juniors and seniors) competed in the event.
For his victory, Mohamad will receive $ 40,000, while Drayton will collect $ 30,000 and Mars $ 20,000.
The top three juniors will collect $ 20,000, $ 10,000 and $ 5000.
The presentation ceremony was scheduled for this week.
BRAZILIAN TRAINING
Mohamad, who has performed outstandingly in recent competitions, told Chronicle Sport that he has intensified his training. He said he has been training with a professional coach from Brazil over the last year, which has improved his overall game.
He added that he hoped to continue improving his game and if given the opportunities to represent Guyana, it would be an honor to do so.
The experienced player noted that he was more comfortable playing the shorter versions of the game than the traditional version.
The April Open Chess tournament was again sponsored by Marlon Williams.