GUYANA YOUTH TEAM REBOUNDS STRONGLY AT CAC YOUTH CHESS FESTIVAL

Twelve-year-old Kataleya Sam was the standout performer for the Guyana Chess  Federation at last week’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Youth Chess  Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Despite the Guyana contingent being  disadvantaged by a flight cancellation that caused players to miss the first round,  Kataleya exceeded all expectations. She secured a top-five finish in the U-12 Girls  Category with five points, building on the momentum of the bronze medal and  Conditional Woman Candidate Master Title she earned in the U-10 Girls  Category two years ago.  

Sam (1512) delivered a standout performance in Round 8, when she faced the  Dominican Republic’s top seed, Amelia Maia Perrone Bueno. The encounter  began as a balanced strategic contest, with both players manoeuvring carefully.  When Perrone Bueno ceded the initiative, Sam responded decisively, exploiting  emerging weaknesses and winning a pawn. From that point forward, the  National U-12 Girl’s Chess Champion demonstrated excellent positional control,  systematically neutralizing her opponent’s counterplay and converting her  advantage into a dominant win. 

While Kataleya led the charge, her teammates showed equal grit. Refusing to be  sidelined by their late start, the remaining youths rallied in the later rounds. They  delivered a series of clinical performances, proving they could compete with the  best in the region despite the odds stacked against them. 

In Round Two, Kyle Couchman (2004) competed in the U-18 Absolute section  against the highest-rated player in the field, FIDE Master Santiago Ruiz. Ruiz,  fresh off an international flight, faced a determined Couchman who showed no  hesitation in taking the fight to his experienced opponent. Couchman launched  an aggressive kingside attack early in the game, forcing Ruiz into a prolonged  defensive struggle. Despite losing an exchange during the middle game,  Couchman maintained relentless pressure. His persistence paid off when Ruiz  committed a critical blunder under sustained attack, allowing Couchman to  secure a well-earned victory. The National Junior Chess Champion finished with  four points in 16th position.  

In Round 8, Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Aditi Joshi (1749) delivered a  commanding performance in the U-16 Girls section against the tournament  leader, WCM Liana Pieter of Curaçao. The game opened quietly in the Colle 

System, Rubinstein Variation, but soon escalated as Joshi secured the bishop pair  and dismantled the defensive structure around her opponent’s king. Exploiting  light-square weaknesses, Joshi mounted a precise attack that forced Pieter into  increasingly difficult positions. In a desperate attempt to stay in the game, Pieter  sacrificed material but ultimately lost multiple pieces and was forced to resign.  The result handed Joshi her opponent’s first and only loss of the tournament.  Joshi, the current Women’s Chess Champion, ended the competition on five  points in sixth place.  

Candidate Master (CM) Sachin Pitamber (1950) delivered a remarkable  performance despite missing the opening round and being sidelined from Round  8 due to illness in the U-16 Absolute Category. He remained undefeated across  his seven matches, finishing with an impressive five points from three wins and  four draws.  

Vir Narine, competing in the U-10 Absolute Category, placed 13th with five  points. Narine showcased his talent, securing four victories despite missing the  first two rounds of the competition. His highlight performances were his victories  over two of his higher-rated opponents. Narine, whose current ELO rating is  1426, delivered a stellar performance when he defeated Caleb Harry from  Trinidad and Tobago (1504) in Round 5 and Mario Alejandro Icaza (1429) from  Panama in Round 7, earning him some valuable rating points.  

In the U-12 Absolute Category, Abel Fernandez (1484) faced a steep challenge.  After nine rounds, Fernandez ended the competition with a hard-fought 4.5  points, consisting of four victories and a draw. The National U-12 Open Chess  Champion represented Guyana for the first time.  

In the U-14 Categories, Nicholas Zhang (1517) demonstrated his resilience and  skill by securing three wins and three draws for a total of 4.5 points in the  Absolute section. His notable performances were his win against Dereon  Bramble (1580) from Trinidad and Tobago in Round 8 and his draws with Nisarg  Katri (1634) from Curazao, Aaron Jaikaran (1714) from Barbados, and Dez  Graham (1661) from the Cayman Islands. Meanwhile, Emma John, making her  first international tournament debut as an unrated player, earned two wins and  three draws, amassing 3.5 points in the Girls’ section. Emma’s highlight  performances were against Karen Salazar (1539) from Guatemala, and her draws  against Suriname’s Avantika Poetoe (1449) and Jamaica’s Victoria Aung (1451).

In the U18 Girls, Ciel Clement (1446), no stranger to the international stage,  finished with 2.5 points after facing some heavy competition in the category.  Clement’s highlight performance came from her victory against a higher-rated  Kiara Otero (1510) from Puerto Rico and her draw against Aradhana Singh (1610)  from Trinidad and Tobago.  

The participants returned home on Sunday, December 21st, 2025. The Guyana  Chess Federation (GCF) commends the young athletes who demonstrated  exceptional skill and character on the international stage. The federation  expresses gratitude to Mrs. Tanya Warren-Clement, Head of Delegation, for her  steadfast commitment to the team’s welfare and the parents whose support was  instrumental throughout the tournament. Special thanks to the coaches FM  Anthony Drayton and CM Taffin Khan who prepared the athletes for the  competition.