Three of Guyana's seven junior chess players finished in the top 10 of their divisions at the XXI Central American and Caribbean Youth Chess Festival in Costa Rica, which ended on Saturday.

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) said it was the country's most successful performance to date. The players competed in seven of the 12 categories over nine rounds of classical play.

The best result came in the U14 Girls division, where reigning National U14 and U16 Girls champion Kataleya Sam placed fifth with six points, including wins over higher-rated players. Sam, rated 1510, dropped points in rounds four, seven and nine against Costa Rica's Sofia Lora Molina (1640), Leticia Fiorella Gurrero Diaz (1663) and Panama's Lili Adriana Garcia Marroquin (1591).

One place behind her overall, Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber (2049) finished sixth in the U16 Absolute division with six points, from four wins and four draws. His only defeat came in round seven against Puerto Rico's Jarek Pacheco Calderon (1867). The second-highest seed in his category, Pitamber missed a podium place only on tie-breaks.

The third top-10 finish came in the U16 Girls division, where National Women's Champion WCM Aditi Joshi (1700) placed ninth with 4.5 points. She drew seven games against strong regional opposition and beat Guatemala's Mireya Anahi Ponciano Gonzalez (1718) in round five. She lost in round six to Honduras's Diana Camila Bobadilla Deras (1632).

Just outside the top 10, National Junior Champion Kyle Couchman (2010) placed 13th in the U18 Absolute division with five points, from four wins and two draws. He beat Costa Rica's FM Sebastian Angulo (2090) but lost in rounds two, six and seven to higher-rated opponents.

The remaining three players competed in the younger age groups. National U14 Open Champion Abel Fernandez Ciria placed 28th in the U14 Absolute division with 4.5 points, while Vir Narine finished 37th in the U12 Absolute division with four points.

Mark Defreitas, the youngest member of the delegation, placed 38th in the U10 Absolute division with 2.5 points. He was also the lone Guyanese entrant in the Rapid and Blitz competitions hosted by the Costa Rican Chess Federation, finishing seventh in the Rapid with six points and scoring four points in the Blitz.

GCF President Anand Raghunauth said the growing pool of junior talent meant tournaments such as this offered a chance to win medals. He said they also let young players test their skills against promising regional opponents and gain international experience. He added that the GCF would continue to foster player growth nationally and internationally, and that he was confident Guyana would stand out at future CAC Games.