Soondarsingh retains top chess position

Soondarsingh comfortably withstood a challenge from Knights Chess Club Foundation candidate Kurtis Chong.

He won by a margin of 15-5 and received support from six of the seven clubs present.

Soondarsingh joined the national executive in 2000 replacing Carl Jacobs as second vice president and became president the next year.

He then easily defeated another Knights member and Foundation director Carlyle Singh.

Soondarsingh continued in the leadership role of the TTCA in 2002 and 2003 but stepped down 2004 as secretary in favour of Petronilla Araujo.

He was again elected in 2005 and now for the 2006/2007 term.

Former national junior and senior chess champion Yogendranath Ramsingh was re-elected unopposed as the first vice-president.

Ramsingh, who is also president of the vibrant Southern Chess Club, represented Trinidad and Tobago at the recent World Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy.

Another former national junior and senior champion John Raphael is the new second vice-president. He served as team captain of the national women’s team at the recent World Chess Olympiad in Italy and of the senior team in 2004 in Mallorca, Spain.

Raphael who is the holder of an Olympiad bronze medal was awarded the internationally recognised FIDE Master tittle. Another Olympiad medallist, Ravishen Singh is the new third vice-president. Singh who earned an Olympiad silver medal in 2002 in Bled, Slovenia also played for the TT team at the just concluded World Olympiad.

Longest serving member of TTCA over the last 15 years, David Jones was unopposed for the post of secretary. No stranger to the national body Jones has the experience of international general meetings having attended FIDE Congress as a delegate in Bled, Slovenia in 2002.

He is also a leading chess player and has qualified for this year’s national chess finals.

The executive for the 2006/2007 term of office is:

President— Bhisham Soondarsingh; 1st vice-president— Yogendranath Ramsingh; 2nd vice-president— John Raphael; 3rd vice-president— Ravishen Singh; Secretary— David Jones;

Treasurer— Anthony Sylvester; PRO— Joffrey Marcelle;

Asst.Secretary— Ian Soloman.