The road to the national crown begins this weekend as the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), backed by Diamond Fire and General Insurance, launches the 2026 National Chess Championship Qualifiers.
Starting Saturday, February 28, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, a diverse field of veterans and rising prodigies will commence an eight-round Swiss tournament battle.
At stake? The chance to challenge reigning National Champions CM Taffin Khan (Open) and WCM Aditi Joshi (Women’s) in the championship finals set for mid-March.
The Open field represents a fascinating clash of generations. Established masters FM Anthony Drayton and FM Rawle Allicock headline a formidable senior lineup that includes CM Ronuel Greenidge and Keron Sandiford.
However, they face an aggressive “rising wave” of junior talent. Under-14 Champion Abel Fernandez Ciria and U12 standout Aidan Tinne are among the youth contingent expected to mount a serious challenge for the top nine qualifying spots. With a classical time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment, the tournament will be a grueling test of endurance and tactical precision.
The Women’s category promises equal intensity. Former champions WCM Jessica Callender and WCM Sasha Shariff enter as favorites, but they must navigate a highly competitive field.
Veteran players like Treskolé Archibald and Ciel Clement will be looking to secure their positions, while “rising stars” Kataleya Sam (U14/U16 Champion) and Divya Persaud (U12 Champion) represent the high-potential youth movement looking to cause an upset over the board.
In a move to modernise the local game, the GCF has confirmed that the top eight boards of the Open Category and the top four boards of the Women’s Category will be live-streamed globally on lichess.org.
Technical Director and FIDE Arbiter John Lee will oversee the digital broadcast, allowing fans worldwide to track every move in real-time. Results and pairings will be updated via chess-results.com.
The first four rounds conclude this weekend, with the final four rounds scheduled for March 7th and 8th. Only the top nine finishers from each category will earn the right to advance to the National Chess Championship, which officially commences on March 14, 2026. (Modified Press Release)
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