Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Aditi Joshi leads the DIAMOND INSURANCE Women’s Chess Championship with victories after four rounds last weekend at the David Rose Special School, Georgetown. The nine-round round-robin format of the competition commenced on March 22nd, 2025, with mixed feelings of apprehension and excitement among the ten contenders for the 2025 National Women’s Chess Championship title.
After four rounds, young Joshi’s aggressive playing style on the chessboard earned her much-needed victories after she faced her fellow female opponents, Italy Ton Chung, Ciel Clement, WCM Sasha Shariff, and Aniyah Couchman. This is Joshi’s third sprint in the Women’s National Championships, and she is determined to win the title this year. With her fast-paced success over the last two years, which resulted in her earning a WCM title at the last Chess Olympiad in Hungary, Joshi may fulfill her dream at fourteen years old. The young aspiring player faced her longest battle with Italy Ton-Chung in a match that ended in checkmate for Ton-Chung after 69 moves in a thrilling endgame. She forced her other opponents Ciel Clement, Sasha Shariff, and Aniyah Couchman to resign and concede defeat before checkmate after facing them individually in the first few rounds of the championship.
Aniyah Couchman and Women Candidate Master (WCM) Jessica Callender are close behind, both holding three points. Notably, defending champion Callender will face Joshi in a crucial match this weekend. Couchman, who recently won the Women’s Qualifiers, has returned to competitive chess with renewed vigor. After a year’s hiatus, her decisive play has propelled her to the forefront of the competition, showcasing a marked improvement. Couchman won against Angelina Yhap, Treskole Archibald, and Kataleya Sam.
Callender’s victories come from wins against Lusianna Farlot and Yhap, and two draws with Archibald and Italy Ton-Chung. Archibald and Clement are on 2.5 points each, while Sam and Ton-Chung are on 1.5 points each. Yhap and Shariff are on 1 point, with Farlot yet to come off the mark.
The tournament will continue with the next four rounds this weekend on March 29th and 30th, with the final game scheduled for Saturday, April 5th. Games will play according to the classical time controls, with players allotted 90 minutes and a 30-second increment for each move.
FIDE Arbiter John Lee is overseeing the matches with assistance from National Arbiter Kim Shing Chong, ensuring fair play and adherence to international chess standards.
This event will provide an opportunity for some of the unrated players to earn their initial ELO ratings by securing wins or draws against rated opponents thereby increasing the pool of female-rated players in Guyana.
The GCF thanks its sponsor, Diamond Fire and General Insurance, for their unwavering support of the Women’s National Chess Championships over the years and the David Rose School for graciously providing the venue.
For more information on the Guyana Chess Federation, visit our website guyanachess.gy, or email us at guyanachess@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
