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.
