EnerMech Guyana Inc has thrown its support behind the 2026 National Junior Chess Championships, sponsoring the qualifiers tournament set to run from July 5 to July 8.
The seven-round qualifiers will take place at Olympic House in Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, courtesy of the Guyana Olympic Association.
The top nine players will advance to the championship finals, scheduled for July 13 to 18 at the same venue, where they will challenge reigning National Junior Chess Champion Kyle Couchman for the 2026 title.
Hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), the event is an annual competition bringing together junior players aged seven to 20.
While the GCF hosted shorter Rapid Format tournaments for age-category championships earlier this year, the qualifiers will transition to the Classical format, with players competing under a 90-minute time control and a 30-second increment added from move one. The tournament will follow the Swiss system, with two rounds played daily at 9am and 2pm.
For the first time, the tournament will be divided into two categories. Group A will feature experienced players, open to all under 20, competing for the top nine positions and the right to challenge the reigning champion; some competitors are currently preparing for the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan and the XXXIV Pan American Youth Festival in Colombia. Group B will see emerging players competing for the title of Group Champion.
The GCF said its outreach to schools and programmes over the past year is expected to yield a larger turnout at this year’s tournament.
Prizes for Group A include qualification for the top nine finishers to the championship finals, along with trophies for Best Female player, Best U14 and Best U12, while Group B will feature a Champion’s trophy, second- to fifth-place trophies, and awards for Best U10 and Best U8 Male and Female players. First- to third-place trophies will also be awarded to players from Priority Area Schools.
The tournament will be supervised by FIDE Arbiter John Lee and his team. The top 12 boards will be broadcast live on Lichess.org, with pairings and standings published on Chess-results.com.
