COUCHMAN EMERGES WINNER OF THE GCF MASHRAMANI MASTERS RAPID CHESS TOURNEY

Fifteen-year-old Kyle Couchman once again exhibited his skill at the chess board  when he emerged the victor in the Mashramani Masters Rapid Chess  tournament sponsored by the Guyana Chess Federation. The seven-round Swiss  competition was held at the David Rose Special School in Thomas Lands last  Saturday, February 22nd, 2025.  

Couchman defeated his opponents, gaining a maximum of 7 points to win the  first-place cash prize. Keron Sandiford placed second with 5.5 points after losing  the battle against Couchman and drawing with Women’s Champion WCM Jessica  Callender. In an unexpected twist, young Rafael Park, who has been on the chess  scene for over a year, won the third-place prize with 4.5 points. His losses came  with his games with Couchman and Sandiford and a draw with Prince Dunn.  

Callender took home fourth place and the best female prizes, while WCM Aditi  Joshi placed fifth, with both finishing on 4.5 points.  

Notable performances came from Prince Dunn with 4.5 points, while Kishan  Puran, Omar Shariff, Matthew Persaud, Cosmos Ikpefuran, and Abel Fernandez  finished on 4 points each.  

Cash prizes amounting to over seventy thousand dollars were distributed to the  first to fifth-place winners and the best female. President of the GCF, Anand  Raghunauth, was on hand to award the prizes. He encouraged the players to  keep playing and learning the game of chess as this would only improve their  game and increase their level of play.  

FIDE Arbiter John Lee officiated the 25-player tournament, which featured a 15- minute time control and a 5-second increment per move.  

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) thanks the David Rose Special School and all  participants for contributing to the event’s success. 

The GCF encourages young and old persons alike to discover the world of chess.  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for news and events. Become a member  by visiting guyanachess.gy and unlock your chess potential.