Guyana’s chess teams faced a challenging day in round nine of the International Chess Federation’s Olympiad, held in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday.
Both the men’s and women’s teams were unable to secure victories against their opponents.
The men’s team played against Afghanistan, suffering a 4-0 defeat.
Despite their efforts, FIDE Master Anthony Drayton, Keron Sandiford, and Sachin Pitamber all lost their matches.
Loris Nathoo had the longest game of the round, battling against Hameedullah Haidary, but ultimately could not secure a win.
In the previous round on Thursday, the men’s team lost to Puerto Rico with a score of 2.5 to 1.5 points.
Drayton managed to secure the team’s only victory, while Pitamber contributed with a draw.
Meanwhile, in the women’s category, the team faced Mozambique and lost 3.5 to 0.5 points.
Candidate Master Jessica Callender lost her match against Vania Vilhete, while Ciel Clements was defeated by Neusa Castro.
Chineve Sandramo lost to Treskole Archibald, but Sasha Sheriff managed to secure a draw against Katina Efentakis, giving the team half a point.
On a positive note, the women’s team achieved a hard-fought victory against Vanuatu in round eight, winning 3-1.
Aditi Joshi and Treskole Archibald both secured commanding wins, while Callender and Sheriff settled for draws.
In a remarkable achievement, 14-year-old Queen’s College students Sachin Pitamber and Aditi Joshi earned their Candidate Master titles due to their impressive individual performances during the Olympiad.
This milestone makes them the youngest players in Guyana to achieve this status.
The biennial event, featuring a record-breaking 193 teams in the Open section and 181 teams in the Women’s competition, is set to conclude on Monday, September 23rd.