The board of the chess federation showed maturity and foresight to discredit its former president | So Good News

Dear Editor,

Board members of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) are to be commended for taking a firm and united stand on the need for accountability and transparency, thereby preserving the slow but steady progress of chess at the local level. The framers of the updated GCF constitution recognized the importance of accountability, which is also enshrined in the statutes of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), of which Guyana is a member.

In a similar vein, the entire GCF Board responded by unanimously deciding to remove its president last month; he allegedly tried to play a strange gambit on the Executive members of the body by refusing to answer. Apparently, they are having none of it and have shown the maturity and foresight to condemn the ex-president’s act of stupidity. This is so funny!

Chess is about more than just making a decision to hold the king. In a small local chess community, a few aficionados recognize the phrase CHESS IS LIFE and subscribe to it. Chess moves are derived from a pattern of decisions made to checkmate an opponent’s king. Perhaps when navigating life, one’s greatest challenge is making decisions to achieve personal ascension.

Decision-making is the main condition for making moves in chess. Good decisions (actions) lead to good results, and bad decisions lead to bad results. It’s simple. Fortunately, chess is not just for the common man, woman, girl or child everywhere, but for certain people.

The game is easy to learn and a force for good, but some of the more intelligent are mistaken for its great lessons in life away from the chessboard. I encourage parents and guardians, teachers, students, and responsible adults to learn and promote mind play to foster a better thinking society. Arthur Fletcher, former head of the United Negro College Foundation, rightly coined the phrase, “Intelligence is a terrible waste.” His is correct. A century ago, one of the greats of chess, Emmanuel Lasker, in particular, warned that “Lies and hypocrisy cannot live long on the chessboard…” and it is right.

We hope that lessons will be learned from the above episode and efforts will continue diligently to expand the game across the country. Peace!

Sincerely yours,

Shiv Nandal

Former president

Guyana Chess Federation