  We report Cousins R-band monitoring of the high-redshift (z=4.40) radio quiet
quasar Q 2203+292 from May 1999 to October 2007. The quasar shows maximum
peak-to-peak light curve amplitude of ~0.3 mag during the time of our
monitoring, and ~0.9 mag when combined with older literature data. The rms of a
fit to the light curve with a constant is 0.08 mag and 0.2 mag, respectively.
The detected changes are at ~3-sigma level. The quasar was in a stable state
during the recent years and it might have undergone a brightening event in the
past. The structure function analysis concluded that the object shows
variability properties similar to those of the lower redshift quasars. We set a
lower limit to the Q 2203+292 broad line region mass of 0.3-0.4 M_odot.
Narrow-band imaging search for redshifted Ly_alpha from other emission line
objects at the same redshift shows no emission line objects in the quasar
vicinity.
