For more than three decades, Louis Gomez Pastana was one of T&T’s prominent chess players. He never won the national championship but was strong enough to represent his country in intercolonial matches against Barbados in the early 40s.
These encounters were played via telegraph with T&T emerging the most victorious.
Gomez Pestana also had the opportunity, if not the distinction, of playing against two world champions when they visited Trinidad, Alexander Alekhine in the late 20s and Max Euwe in the early 30s.
Unlike most of his forgotten contemporaries, however, his love for the sport of chess lives on in his son, Clayton Gomez, former player, treasurer of Knights Chess Club and one of the most knowledgeable arbiters in the sport.
In his turn, Clayton has immortalised the name of his father by organising a novel three-stage tournament, the Louis Gomez Pestana Chess Festival, the fifth edition of which comes off early next month at the Brabant Street centre of the T&T Chess Foundation. The first stanza will be played on January 8 featuring groups of no more than eight players each.
The next day, Saturday, the top two winners from each group will contest a tournament for the larger prizes: $800, $600, $400 and $200.
At the same time, non-qualifiers will play in a candidates event for points money, earning $10 for each win.
David Christopher has the distinction of winning the first Festival. Topping the annual event after him were Marcus Joseph, FM Ryan Harper and Cesar Ramos.
The novel festival will launch the country’s Open chess programme for the year 2016.
According to Clayton Gomez the event is also intended to further strengthen the spirit of amiability and spotsmanship that exists among lovers of the royal game and, at the same time, to remind them of stalwarts such as Gomez Pestana who helped to advance its popularity and establish it foundations.
Included in the game’s historic giants were players of the calibre of George Stanford, Fred Sabga, Fred Brassington and Carl Brown, all former national champions.
Next month will also be an important one for the country’s young players as the National Juniors, Under-8 to U-18, starts on January 9 at Presentation College, San Fernando.
Registration can be made on-line up to January 8. The National U-20 championship will begin on the following Saturday.