Candidate Master (CM) Sachin Pitamber has won the 2026 National Junior Chess Championships Qualifiers, hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) at Olympic House, Liliendaal.
The EnerMech Guyana Inc.-sponsored seven-round tournament concluded on 8 July after four days of competition, drawing 75 young players across Group A and Group B categories, including 26 females.
In Group A, Pitamber, who holds three National titles, played unbeaten throughout, scoring six points from seven rounds. His bid for a perfect score was denied by draws in the fifth and sixth rounds.
Woman Candidate Master (WCM) and reigning National Women’s Chess Champion Aditi Joshi took second place with 5.5 points, her only blemishes a round-four loss to Pitamber and a sixth-round draw.
Alexander Zhang finished third with five points, going unbeaten across all seven rounds with three wins and four draws.
Reigning National U-14 and U-16 Girls Chess Champion Kataleya Sam took fourth place, also on five points, securing her position with key wins and draws in rounds five and six.
Jeremy Cole placed fifth after tie-breakers were applied, also on five points, with four wins, two draws and one defeat. His most notable win came in the final round against reigning National U-14 Open Champion Abel Fernandez Ciria.
Rounding out the top nine qualifying spots were Nicholas Zhang, Matthew Singh, Darrel Abrams and National U-12 Open Champion Aiden Tinne [name spelled “Tinnie” later in source – please confirm], who all finished on 4.5 points.
In the newly introduced Group B category, Nikhail Raghubir won a three-way tie on six points to claim first place on tie-breakers, ahead of Tremeur Alleyne in second and Shurlan Sparman in third. Sanjay Suman placed fourth with 5.5 points, while Mark DeFreitas rounded out the top five on five points.
In the Priority Areas School Chess Training Programme, run under the Ministry of Education, Tremeur Alleyne of Christ Church Secondary School took first place, followed by Jaden Denny of St Rose’s High in second and Madison Spencer of St Joseph High in third.
Group A special awards went to Joshi (Best Female), Sam (Best U14) and Tinne (Best U12). In Group B, Pranav Suman won Best U8, DeFreitas took Best U10 Open, and Michaela Thompson won Best U10 Girl.
Players aged seven to 20 took part, representing schools including Queen’s College, Bishops’ High School, Marian Academy, School of the Nations, St Joseph High, St Stanislaus College, Christ Church Secondary, Richard Ishmael Secondary, Dolphin Secondary, Stella Maris Primary, New Guyana School, Mae’s School, North Georgetown Secondary, Diamond Secondary, Hauraruni Primary School, Cummings Lodge Secondary, Cindy’s Academy and the University of Guyana.
As a FIDE (International Chess Federation)-rated tournament, Group A results will earn some players international rating points for the first time, expanding Guyana’s pool of rated players.
GCF President Anand Raghunauth said this year’s Qualifiers featured the strongest field to date, with average Elo rating surpassing all previous tournaments. He added that the Federation’s investment in youth development was making significant strides.
Certificates, medals and trophies were presented by EnerMech Guyana Senior HR Advisor Yulanda Armstrong.
The top nine Group A finishers will now challenge current National Junior Champion Kyle Couchman in a round-robin format at the National Junior Championship, starting Monday, 13 July at Olympic House, Liliendaal.
The GCF thanked Chief Arbiter, FIDE Arbiter John Lee, and his team for ensuring the tournament met FIDE regulations, including live streaming and publication of pairings and standings, and extended gratitude to sponsor EnerMech Guyana Inc.
