Junior chess team off to Pan-American Youth Championships

An eight-member chess team of top junior players from the Guyana Chess Federation is set to participate in the Pan-American Youth Championships XXXIV in Orlando, Florida, USA from July 15th to 20th 2024. The team is representing the Under-10 to Under-16 Open and Girls’ categories in the tournament.
Players such as Kyle Couchman, Under-16; Aditi Joshi, Under-14; and Katalya Sam, Under-12, who earned a bronze medal at the XIV CAC Youth Chess Festival last year, have already competed internationally, and will have the experience to improve their performances.
Young Sachin Pitamber, an under-14 player who is on the Olympiad team to go into action later this year, is also a player who can give Guyana its first medal at these games. He has had strong finishes in tournaments throughout the year, and has won national under-14 and under-16 titles. He has a passion and talent for the game, and has also secured major victories over Guyana’s top chess players.
Kyle Couchman will be looking to improve his 6th place from last year’s finish in his category in the CAC Youth Chess Festival, and will be utilizing the experience and confidence he has acquired.
Also representing Guyana in this tournament are Maliha Rajkumar, U16 Girls; Jermey Cole, U12 Open; Vir Narine, U10 Open; and Saura Rooplall, U10 Girls. These young players are being accompanied to the tournament by their parents.
GCF President Anand Raghunauth is upbeat about the team’s participation and the exposure for young Guyanese players in the international chess circuit. “I think this is the strongest junior team by rating and skill to have participated in an international championship. There are some players who are ranked in the top five for women and males in the country”, he said.
The United States Chess Federation has organized the event in partnership with the Confederation of Chess for the Americas, the International Chess Federation (FIDE), and the Rosen Shingle Creek playing venue.