Holiday Message from Jamaican Chess Prez

PRESIDENT’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO
MEMBERS OF THE JAMAICA CHESS FEDERATION

Dear Members,

This is to wish for you and yours a tremendous Christmas season and a truly fantastic 2015 when it comes.

I also extend similar sentiments to our Caribbean brothers and sisters, regional federations and the wider chess community led by the World Chess Federation (“FIDE”).

2014 has been a challenging one for us but, nonetheless, it was our best year ever from several perspectives especially having regard to sponsorship raised.

We also made history in a number of ways including the following:

(a) obtaining a number of international titles such as ten-time Jamaican Women’s champion Mrs. Deborah Richards-Porter’s Woman International Master title (“WIM”) at the Women’s Sub-Zonals in Suriname in February; and three-time Jamaican champion Mr. Damion Davy’s Fide Master (“FM”) title at the Tromso, Norway Olympiad in August;

(b) forging an alliance with the legendary 13th World Champion Grandmaster Garry Kimovich Kasparov thereby lifting Jamaica’s profile on the world chess stage;

(c) GM Garry Kasparov visiting Jamaica twice and also training our Olympiad squad;

(d) sending our biggest every delegation to a World Chess Olympiad (Tromso, Norway, 2014);

(e) establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with the Jamaica Olympic Association (“JOA”);

(f) having the inaugural Hall of Fame awards ceremony on the 26th September, 2014 with founding President Mr. Enos Grant and former president Mr. John Powell being the first inductees; and

(g) Chess being selected as part of the RJR Foundation’s National Sportsman/woman of the Year Awards for the first time in our 45-year history. This ceremony will be held on the 16th January, 2015.

Chess continues to soar with thousands of new players making it the fastest growing sport in the country. This was possible through your support and, of course, that of families, friends and sponsors.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for contributing to a very successful year. We owe to you a tremendous debt of gratitude.

I encourage you to re-double your efforts to make 2015 even more superb, surpassing the above-mentioned accomplishments. Remember – ask not what Chess can do for you but what YOU can do for Chess!

Going forward let us cement Chess, once the game of kings, as the KING of games!

Ian G. Wilkinson QC
President
Jamaica Chess Federation

25th December, 2014