CM PITAMBER WINS ENERMECH GUYANA-SPONSORED NATIONAL JUNIOR CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

Candidate Master (CM) Sachin Pitamber emerged as the winner of the 2026  National Junior Chess Championships Qualifiers, hosted by the Guyana Chess  Federation (GCF). The EnerMech Guyana Inc. sponsored seven-round  tournament concluded at Olympic House in Liliendaal on July 8th after four days  of intense competition. A total of seventy-five young chess players took part in  the Group A and Group B categories, including twenty-six females.  

In Group A, CM Pitamber, who holds three National titles, played unbeaten  throughout the tournament, scoring 6 points from seven rounds. His bid for a  perfect score was thwarted by two draws in the fifth and sixth rounds. 

Securing a strong second-place finish with 5.5 points was Woman Candidate  Master (WCM) and reigning National Women’s Chess Champion Aditi Joshi, who  put on an impressive performance; her only blemishes were a round four loss to  CM Pitamber and a draw in the sixth round. 

In third place was Alexander Zhang, who finished with 5 points. Drawing on his  experience in high-stakes junior play, Zhang went unbeaten across all seven  rounds, securing three victories and four draws to claim his spot in the top 9. 

The reigning National U-14 and U-16 Girls Chess Champion, Kataleya Sam,  claimed fourth place with a strong 5-point finish. Sam cemented her spot at the  top of the standings by scoring vital wins and holding her ground with key draws  in rounds five and six, safely securing her position in the top 9. 

Also finishing with 5 points was Jeremy Cole, who secured fifth place after the  tie-breaker system was applied. Cole played resilient chess throughout the seven  rounds, securing four wins and two draws against just one defeat. His most  notable victory came in the final round against reigning National U-14 Open  Champion Abel Fernandez Ciria. 

Rounding out the crucial top nine qualifying spots in sixth, seventh, eighth, and  ninth places were Nicholas Zhang, Matthew Singh, Darrel Abrams, and National  U-12 Open Champion Aiden Tinne, respectively. All four players finished the  tournament with a strong 4.5 points, safely securing their places in the top nine  for the upcoming National Junior Chess Championship. 

In the newly introduced Group B, the tournament saw a thrilling battle among  the up-and-coming players, culminating in a dramatic three-way tie at the top 

with 6 points each. After the tie-breaker system was applied, Nikhail Raghubir  emerged victorious to claim first place, while Tremeur Alleyne and Shurlan  Sparman secured second and third places, respectively. 

Following closely behind was Sanjay Suman, locked in fourth place with 5.5  points, while Mark DeFreitas rounded out the top five with 5 points. 

In the Priority Areas School Chess Training Program under the Ministry of  Education, Tremeur Alleyne from Christ Church Secondary School gained the  first-place trophy, while second place went to Jaden Denny from St Rose’s High,  and third place to Madison Spencer from St. Joseph High.  

Group A special Awardees were Aditi Joshi (Best Female), Kataleya Sam (Best  U14), and Aiden Tinnie (Best U12). 

Group B saw Pranav Suman winning the Best U8, while the Best U10 Open went  to Mark DeFreitas and Best U10 Girl went to Michaela Thompson. 

The competition saw students aged seven to twenty from various schools in and  around Georgetown, such as 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.  

The Group A section, having been a FIDE (International Chess Federation) rated  tournament, will see some players gaining valuable international rating points  for the first time, thereby increasing the pool of rated players in Guyana.  

Anand Raghunauth, President of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), noted that  this year’s Qualifiers featured the strongest field of participants to date, with the  average Elo rating surpassing all previous tournaments. He added that the GCF’s  investment in youth development is making significant strides in advancing the  game. 

In a simple award ceremony, certificates, medals, and trophies were distributed  by the Senior HR Advisor from EnerMech Guyana, Ms. Yulanda Armstrong. 

The top nine players from Group A now move on to challenge the current  National Junior Champion, Kyle Couchman, for a chance at the 2026 title. The  Junior Championship starts on Monday, July 13 at the Olympic House in 

Liliendaal. This will be a round robin tournament in which all ten players play  each other. 

A special thank you is extended to our Chief Arbiter, FIDE Arbiter John Lee, and  his team for all their hard work in ensuring that the tournament was conducted  according to FIDE rules and regulations, that the live streaming was up and  running, and that pairings and standings were published. 

The Federation would like to extend its sincere gratitude to our sponsor,  EnerMech Guyana Inc., for their generosity and support in the development of  chess in our youths. 

Thank you to the Guyana Olympic Association for providing the venue for the  tournament.