
Keron Sandiford and Ciel Clement have emerged as early leaders in the National Open Chess Championship Qualifiers and the Diamond Fire-sponsored Women’s Chess Championship Qualifiers after four rounds of play.
Leading the Open category, Sandiford remains unbeaten with four points, highlighted by a significant victory over FM Anthony Drayton in the third round. Following closely is Junior Champion Kyle Couchman, who also remains unbeaten with 3.5 points, tied with U16 Open Champion CM Sachin Pitamber. These events, organised by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), recently kicked off at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).
On the women’s side, Ciel Clement leads with 3.5 points, her only setback being a strategic draw against WCM Sasha Shariff. WCM Jessica Callender trails with three points, having suffered a tough defeat to Shariff in round two. Kataleya Sam, the reigning U14 and U16 Girls Champion, sits in third place and remains unbeaten.
The remaining rounds are scheduled for March 7 and 8, with the top nine players from each category earning spots in the upcoming National Championships.









