Joshi leads Diamond Insurance National Women’s Chess Championship

After four rounds of competition, Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Aditi Joshi is in the lead for the Diamond Insurance Women’s Chess Championship with victories last weekend at the David Rose Special School, Georgetown.
The nine-round round-robin competition commenced on March 22, 2025, with mixed feelings of apprehension and excitement among the 10 contenders for the 2025 National Women’s Chess Championship title.

After four rounds, young Joshi’s aggressive playing style on the chessboard earned her much-needed victories after she faced her Italy Ton-Chung, Ciel Clement, WCM Sasha Shariff, and Aniyah Couchman. This is Joshi’s third stint in the Women’s National Championship, and she is determined to win the title this year. With her fast-paced success over the last two years, which resulted in her earning a WCM title at the last Chess Olympiad in Hungary, Joshi may fulfil her dream at 14 years old.

The young aspiring player faced her longest battle with Ton-Chung in a match that ended in checkmate for Ton-Chung after 69 moves in a thrilling endgame. She forced her other opponents Clement, Shariff, and Couchman to resign and concede defeat before checkmate after facing them individually in the first few rounds of the championship.
Couchman and WCM Jessica Callender are close behind, both holding three points. Notably, defending champion Callender will face Joshi in a crucial match this weekend. Couchman, who recently won the Women’s Qualifiers, has returned to competitive chess with renewed vigour.

After a year’s hiatus, her decisive play has propelled her to the forefront of the competition, showcasing a marked improvement. Couchman won against Angelina Yhap, Treskole Archibald, and Kataleya Sam.
Callender’s victories come from wins against Lusianna Farlot and Yhap, and two draws with Archibald and Ton-Chung. Archibald and Clement are on 2.5 points each, while Sam and Ton-Chung are on 1.5 points each. Yhap and Shariff are on 1 point, with Farlot yet to come off the mark.
The tournament will continue with the next four rounds this weekend on March 29 and March 30, with the final game scheduled for Saturday, April 5.
Games will be played according to the classical time controls, with players allotted 90 minutes and a 30-second increment for each move.
FIDE Arbiter John Lee is overseeing the matches with assistance from National Arbiter Kim Shing Chong, ensuring fair play and adherence to international chess standards.
This event will provide an opportunity for some of the unrated players to earn their initial ELO ratings by securing wins or draws against rated opponents thereby increasing the pool of female-rated players in Guyana.
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) thanked tournament sponsor Diamond Fire and General Insurance, for its unwavering support of the Women’s National Chess Championship over the years and the David Rose School for graciously providing the venue.