Queen’s College wins National Inter-School Chess Tournament

Queen’s College girls receive the first place prize

Queen’s College students dominated the National Inter-School Chess Tournament hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) on Monday, December 8th, 2025. The tournament, graciously hosted at The Bishop’s High School, was filled to capacity with approximately 235 students—marking the largest chess competition ever held in Guyana.
The Queen’s College Open and Girls’ Teams secured first place in their respective categories, while fellow student Nicholas Zhang captured the Championship title in the Individual Category.
Marian Academy’s Open Team placed second in the Open Team Category, with School of the Nations taking third place. In the Girls’ Team Category, the New Guyana School placed second, followed by the Marian Academy Girls’ Team in third.

In the Open Team Tournament 2025, Queen’s College students Alexander Zhang, Kyle Couchman, WCM Aditi Joshi, and CM Sachin Pitamber delivered outstanding performances, scoring a perfect 20 points. Marian Academy’s team—featuring Micaiah Enoe, Alek Ubaldo-Singh, Joseph Prendergast, and Aiden Tinnie—finished with 13.5 points, while School of the Nations students Nathan Fraser, Gabriel Felix, Jeremiah Jacobs, and Landon Mohabir took third place with 11.5 points.
The Girls’ Team Tournament 2025 saw Queen’s College players Ciel Clement, Kataleya Sam, Parnita Kishun, and Saura Ruplall amass an impressive 18.5 points. The New Guyana School’s Christine Silva, Lusianna Farlot, Olivia Rajmangal, and Divya Persaud finished with 11.5 points, while Marian Academy’s team—Angelina Yhap, Kristin Xavier, Tharisha Montes De Oca, and Bianca Jessimy—secured third place with 11 points.
In the Individual Championship, Queen’s College student Nicholas Zhang emerged as the unbeaten overall champion. His schoolmate, Omar Shariff, secured second place with a perfect five points. Third place went to Hemraj Persaud of The Bishop’s High School, who also remained unbeaten. Queen’s College students Chelsea Harrison and Javier Davenand took fourth and fifth places respectively, maintaining unbeaten records as well.
Trophies were awarded to the top three schools in the Priority Areas Program in both the Open and Girls’ Categories. Richard Ishmael Secondary won first place in the Open Team Category, followed by the Georgetown School of Science in second and St. Joseph High School in third. In the Girls’ Category, Richard Ishmael Secondary again captured the first-place trophy, while St. Joseph High School and Christ Church Secondary took second and third place respectively.

Medals were awarded to the top performer from each school in the Individual Category:
Mahir Rajkumar – Queen’s College;
Vir Narine – Marian Academy;
Aditya Bishundial – The Bishop’s High School;
Adiel Hamilton – Georgetown School of Science;
Ricardo Thakur – St. Joseph High;
Darrell Abrams – School of the Nations;
Gabrielle Mohabir – St. Rose’s High;
Chris Burgess – Richard Ishmael Secondary;
Ishmiah La Cruz – St. Stanislaus College;
Christian Tafores – St. John’s College;
Careem McEwen – Dolphin Secondary;
Kayran Andrews – Christ Church Secondary;
Raiden Ruplall – Mae’s School;
Akeela Nurse – East Ruimveldt Secondary;
Aalim Khan – Qayyim Academy;
Elizabeth Isaacs – Kingston Secondary;
Jesse Fletcher – Queenstown Secondary.
The national event brought together students from 18 schools across Guyana—both public and private—competing in team and individual categories. This year’s championship featured a five-round rapid tournament with a 15-minute time control per player. Schools competed in Open and Girls’ Divisions, each fielding four-player teams, while the Individual Tournament welcomed unlimited participants from each institution.
The GCF congratulated all participating schools and players for their enthusiasm, discipline, and sportsmanship. Under the Ministry of Education’s Priority Areas Program, the Chess in Schools initiative has significantly benefited students who previously had limited access to the sport. Chess—known to complement academic learning—is growing rapidly nationwide, with participation increasing significantly compared to last year. The annual tournament is expected to expand further, incorporating additional regions as part of the GCF’s nationwide development program.
Gratitude is extended to Sunshine Snacks for providing refreshments for the students.
The GCF also expressed heartfelt gratitude to Chief Arbiter John Lee for expertly managing three tournaments concurrently. Appreciation was extended to the team of Chess Coaches and Arbiters, including GCF President Anand Raghunauth, FM Anthony Drayton, CM Taffin Khan, WCM Jessica Callendar, and Keron Sandiford. The Federation also acknowledged the contributions of Assistant Arbiters Oluwadare Oyeyipo, Treskolé Archibald, FM Rawle Allicock, Jorrell Troyer, and Joshua Gopaul. The GCF further thanked the Ministry of Education’s Allied Arts Department, through the Priority Areas Programme, for its continued support in promoting chess development, as well as The Bishop’s High School for generously providing the venue