Former National Junior Chess Champion Joshua Gopaul brought his A-game to the Bullet Chess Competitions hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) at the Game Fest 2026 last Saturday, July 11th, 2026. The event, held at the Royal International Mall, attracted several chess players as well as newcomers, all vying for a chance to win the cash prizes sponsored by V&V Distributors, Movements Family Hotel and Bar, Premier ND Plus Enterprise, S. Pooran Equipment Rental, and the Fernandez Ciria family.
Gopaul took home the first-place prize in three Bullet Chess Competitions while Keron Sandiford, WCM Jessica Callender, and FM Anthony Drayton copped first place each in the remaining three competitions. Other winners taking home cash prizes included Kim Shing-Chong, Ethan Spencer, Treskolé Archibald, Chelsea Harrison, Angelina Yhap, Darrel Abrams, Kishan Puran, Tremeur Alleyne, Dominic Sam, Jaden Denny, Odinnie Reece, and Javier Davenand. Newcomer prizes went to David Chow, Naresh Sukhu, Tajiri De Abreu, Derek Quaicoe, and Mahendra Persaud.
The GCF’s dynamic appearance at the gaming convention kicked off the bullet tournaments from 12:00 pm in the high-octane Bullet Chess format with a two minute time control plus a 1-second increment for each player. The short time control attracted many players to showcase their skills and abilitiesin this format in a festive environment rather than the traditional quietness of chess, providing much excitement and camaraderie among the players.
The action-packed schedule drew a diverse crowd, commanding the attention of both seasoned veterans and enthusiastic newcomers who clashed over the board. Each tournament maintained a highly competitive field of 14 to 16 players battling through seven intense rounds of play. Incentivizing fierce competition was a total prize fund of $50,000 Guyana dollars per tournament. Cash prizes were distributed among the top five finishers, along with dedicated prizes for the Best Female Player and Best Newcomer.
At the conclusion of the day’s events, Joshua Gopaul emerged victorious as the player with the highest points for victories. His dominant performance and tournament-high score earned him the grand prize of $30,000 Guyana dollars.
The smooth execution of the entire event was made possible by the arbiters and management team, which included Ethan Lee, Ronan Lee, Oluwadare Oyeyipo, Italy Ton Chung, and Keron Sandiford. The successful setup and smooth
operation of the GCF booth were made possible thanks to Mrs. Ieda Harrison, Mrs. Michaela Khan-Smith, and Mrs. Marcia Lee, with valuable support from Abrianna Tinnie, Odit Rodrigues, and Nathan Williams.
The Federation extends its heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, whose generous support made these competitions possible. We would also like to give special acknowledgment and thanks to the organizers of Game Fest 2026. Thank you for providing the GCF with the platform to participate, and for recognizing chess as a premier discipline in the “battle of the mind.”
