Newly elected Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association president, Kamla Rampersad-De Silva..KAMLA RAMPERSAD-De Silva, an attorney-at-law, was elected as the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association (TTCA) for a one- year period after the group’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was staged at ALGICO Plaza, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain on July 3.

Rampersad-De Silva replaced Quintin Cabralis, who did not seek re-election, and she stated, “I think we need to encourage the formation of more clubs and to help develop more administrators of the sport.”

Rampersad-De Silva heads an eight-member body, which includes Bisham Soondarsingh (first vice-president), Ryan Harper (second vice-president), Rajendra Ramlogan (third vice-president), Aditi Soondarsingh (secretary), Sandy Razark (assistant secretary), Russell Smith (treasurer) and Linda Hutchinson-Jafar (public relations officer). The TTCA will also be celebrating its 75th anniversary next year and there are plans to hold activities to commemorate the special occasion.

“Our new executive must hit the ground running in order to stay on top of all the planned events,” said the new TTCA head, “while making chess a household name in the country.”

In related news, the PKF-sponsored National Junior Championships will take place at St Mary’s College, Port-of-Spain from July 11-14.

Harper will serve as the tournament’s director.

For more information on this event, call 399-5694, 761-7091, 740-7126 or send an e-mail to gringott@yahoo.com.