Couchman tops Jade’s Wok developmental tournament

Chess legend Jose Capablanca once said, “A book cannot, by itself, teach how to play. It can only serve as a guide, and the rest must be learned by experience.”
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) understands that experience is essential to learning chess, and is thus committed to providing opportunities for players of all ages to hone their skills through tournaments and designated training.
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) held the Jade’s Wok Developmental Chess Tournament on October 6-8, 2023, with support from Jade’s Wok, a popular food entity in Guyana. The tournament featured 5 rounds and attracted players of all ages, including the current Junior Chess Champion and Women’s Chess Champions of Guyana, as well as senior players and the upcoming junior team for the Inter Guiana Games.

Kyle Couchman, a junior player with an impressive record, emerged as the tournament’s champion with a score of 4.5 points. He won three straight games before drawing with reigning Junior Chess Champion of Guyana, Keron Sandiford. Couchman then won his remaining games to secure the top spot.
Veteran player Justino DaSilva took the runner-up spot with 4 points. He was impressed with the development of the youth players, particularly Alexander Zhang, who held his own against some of Guyana’s best. DaSilva was also delighted to see the improvement of young female player Ciel Clement.
Other notable performances came from Gilbert Williams and Ricardo Narine (3.5 points each) and 13-year-old Aditi Joshi (3 points), who defeated Women’s Champion Jessica Callender, Alexander Zhang, and Nicholas Zhang, and also placed highest among the females.
Alex Benjamin and Raveon Adonis also ended on 3 points.
The Developmental Chess Tourney was held to prepare the eight-member team that will represent Guyana at the Inter-Guiana Games later this year. The GCF thanks Jade’s Wok for their continued support, and encourages everyone to visit their website (guyanachess.gy) to learn more about becoming a member of the federation. The GCF will also host a booth at the popular Fumacon Convention at the Mariott Hotel on Saturday, October 14th 2023 from 1pm.