Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber, Guyana’s reigning National Chess Champion, leads the Group A division of the 2026 National Junior Chess Championship Qualifiers unbeaten after four rounds, putting him on course for top spot with three rounds remaining.
The EnerMech Guyana-sponsored tournament began on Sunday at Olympic House in Liliendaal, drawing the country’s top junior players competing for one of nine qualifying spots to face reigning champion Kyle Couchman in the Round Robin stage.
Pitamber has amassed four points from four rounds. Under-14 Open Champion Abel Fernandez Ciria and Alexander Zhang are half a point behind on 3.5 each, while Woman Candidate Master Aditi Joshi, the National Women’s Champion, Under-14 and Under-16 Girls Chess Champion Kataleya Sam, Nicholas Zhang and Matthew Singh are tied on three points apiece.
The fourth round’s marquee clash pitted Pitamber against Joshi in a four-hour marathon that Pitamber ultimately won.
In the newly introduced Group B division, aimed at less experienced junior players, Nikhail Raghubir and Shurlan Sparman share the lead on four points each.
Sanjay Suman sits alone in third with 3.5 points. Seven players – Tremeur Alleyne, Shameera Dwarka, Mark De Freitas, Axela Vieira, Martin Moore Jr., Raiden Ruplall and Ameer Shariff – are tied on three points.
The top nine Group A finishers will receive medals and advance to the Round Robin stage of the 2026 National Junior Chess Championships, which starts on 13 July. Special prizes will go to the Best Female, Best Under-12 and Best Under-14 players.
In Group B, trophies await the top five finishers along with the Best Under-10 (open and female) and Best Under-8 (open and female) players.
For the first time, the tournament will also recognise top performers from Priority Area Schools, students taught under the Ministry of Education’s chess programme.
The qualifiers, sponsored by EnerMech Guyana Inc, conclude on Wednesday with the seventh and final round, followed by the closing and presentation ceremony.
