44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, Chennai, India: Guyana’s performance the most impressive in recent years

The 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, conducted in Chennai, India, finally came to an end on August 9th, after seeing participation of the largest-ever number of players in this biennial event.

Guyana’s women’s team, led by 14-year-old women’s champion Pooja Lam, defeated four teams: Laos, Central African Republic, Timor-Leste and Libya, and drew with Oman to raise their international ranking 16 places up, from #136 to #120 in the world.
Twelve-year-old Anaya Lall, a player with a hearing impairment, was most impressive in the final round against Libya, defeating WFM Khuloud El Flow, a player rated 1836. This is the highest-rated opponent young Anaya has ever defeated, and it has earned her her first FIDE rating.
Jessica Callender drew her final match with WFM Khadija Elfelo, a player rated 1875, while Pooja Lam and Sasha Shariff also defeated their Libyan opponents, Alrais and Albudwi respectively. The team finished third in the ‘Group E’ category, a feat considered a triumph.
The women’s team was captained by Slovenian GM Georg Mohr, and its top players Jessica Callender and Sasha Shariff finished on 5.5 points each from 10 games. Pooja Lam and Anaya Lall finished on 3 points each, while Nellisha Johnson earned 1.5 points.
Guyana’s Open team has improved in ranking from #152 to #148, having recorded wins against Seychelles, Gabon, Brunei Darussalam and Burundi. Captained by Davion Mars, Guyana’s Open Team is now ranked fifth among the Caribbean’s chess teams.
The Open team lost the final round of the tournament 2.5– 1.5 to Haiti. FM Anthony Drayton won against Jude Guillaume, while CM Taffin Khan drew with his Haitian counterpart FM Marckens Jean Louis.
FM Anthony Drayton has recorded the most wins for the Guyana men’s (Open) team, finishing on 5.5 points after playing 9 rounds. CM Taffin Khan, with 4.5 points from 11 games, was the next most successful Guyana man, while Loris Nathoo and Ethan Lee both scored 3 points, and Roberto Neto scored 2.5 points for Guyana.
Both the Open and Women’s teams finished on 18.5 points. It was an all-round successful tournament for the Guyana Chess Olympiad team, with increased ratings’ points for players, improved rankings, and two new Conditional WCMs in Shariff and Callender. The Olympiad Team and delegation are expected to arrive home on August 11th.
The Board of Directors of the Guyana Chess Federation wishes to thank and congratulate the team for its excellent performances, and takes this opportunity to extend gratitude to all those individuals who contributed to the success of the trip.
Special thanks are extended to the Government of Guyana and to all our local sponsors who made this event possible, as well as to FIDE and the AICF Organising Committee.
The GCF has said it very greatly appreciates all the support and assistance it received towards its chess players.