CANDIDATE Master Sachin Pitamber and Woman Candidate Master Aditi Joshi excelled at the Kitty Square Mall-sponsored National Under-16 Chess Tournament last Saturday, emerging as champions in their respective divisions. The event, organized by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), featured 58 promising junior players, including 36 boys and 22 girls, competing in seven rounds of rapid chess at the School of the Nations. Each match allowed players 20 minutes, with a five-second increment for every move.
In the Open division, Pitamber demonstrated his remarkable talent, finishing with an impressive total of 6.5 points to secure the championship title once again. The young CM, who earned his chess title last year at the Chess Olympiad in Hungary, also claimed the title of 2024 Under-16 Champion. Reflecting on his performance, Pitamber expressed, “I was ecstatic, having won the U16 championships for two years, and I had high hopes, aspirations, and determination to win. I have improved my performance from last year, which I’m glad about, and I look forward to retaining my title next year.†He noted that the stronger competition this year made the tournament more exhilarating than in 2022, highlighting the competitive spirit inherent in chess.
Close behind Pitamber was Kyle Couchman, who also accumulated 6.5 points but finished second due to the tie-break system, which favored Pitamber. Couchman’s impressive performance included a draw against the eventual champion. Newcomer Jaden Todd showcased his resilience by securing third place with 5.5 points.
In the Girls’ division, WCM Joshi displayed her strategic capabilities, also finishing with 6.5 points to claim the championship title, having previously held the National Under-14 title last year. She admitted to being confident yet nervous due to fierce competition from Ciel Clement and Kataleya Sam, noting that the level of competition was significantly higher than in previous years. Joshi’s draw against Clement contributed to her winning score.
Kataleya Sam, recently crowned Under-12 Girls Champion, closely followed Joshi in second place with 6 points, her only loss coming from the match with Joshi. Ciel Clement completed the top three with 5.5 points, showcasing the intense competition among the girls.
In the Open Division, standout performances included National Under-12 Champion Abel Fernandez, who placed fourth with 5.5 points. Other notable players such as Alexander Zhang, Mahir Rajkumar, Omar Shariff, Arysh Raghunauth, and Aiden Tinnie all finished with 5 points each. Parnita Kishun also performed well, finishing with 5 points, while Kaija Clement, Tharisha Montes De Oca, Angelina Yhap, Divya Persaud, Amaya Sharma, and Lusianna Farlot rounded out the results with 4 points.
Looking ahead, the next national youth competition will be the National Junior Chess Championship Qualifiers, an Under-20 event scheduled for July 2025, which typically garners the largest participation.
The Guyana Chess Federation extends sincere gratitude to Kitty Square Mall for their generous sponsorship and to the School of the Nations for hosting the competition, contributing to a successful and memorable tournament.
