The New Guyana School ensured its presence was felt at the very exciting and highly anticipated Inter-School Chess Tournament, held on 11th and 12th December 2024, at Queen's College Auditorium. This event was coordinated by the Guyana Chess Federation and the Ministry of Education through its Priority Areas Programme. It saw the participation of 15 schools from the Georgetown Educational District and upwards of 150 students participating in the various categories.
The New Guyana School emerged as one of the power participants in teams and individual events, further sealing its name in excellence, proof that hard work was being put into training the students by renowned Keron Sandiford himself.
The students competed in the Open Team and Female Team categories and showed exceptional form and determination throughout the two-day, seven-round Swiss format tournament.
In third place came the Open Team Category, captured by the New Guyana School Team, led by Tremusa Marshall, comprising Abel Fernandes, Tremusa Marshall, Tejas Kandavel, and Caleb Damon. It was evident that the tremendous teamwork and great strategy these boys applied made their place very remarkable. Equally good was the Female Team, led by Anaya Walrund and represented by herself, Anya DeGroot, Sana Sreebalakumar, and Lusianna Farlot, who took the second-place trophy because of their exemplary coordination and tactics.
Besides team events, their success encompassed the individual sportsman's spirit and eagerness, for which the organizers themselves complimented the students. This reflects not only the hard work put in by the students but also by the coach in preparing them for this big event.
This was not just a competition but an interaction and development of amity between the participating schools. With a time control of 25 minutes with increments of 10 seconds per move, this intense competition made every player think hard to deliver results in this championship.
The remarkable performance by The New Guyana School underpins the profound fact that chess develops critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and discipline. Additionally, it should be noted that the GCF committed itself to an expanded chess education in 2025. This has been received with a warm welcome and commendations.
While students of New Guyana School celebrate their performances, they are nonetheless motivated to continue learning and improving their skills. The school community congratulates these students on their performances and looks forward to even better performances.