Juniors hold their own in Pan Am Chess Championships
…Couchman defeats 2200-rated FM
Guyana’s Junior contingent at the Pan Am Youth Championships in Florida
Members of the eight-member contingent fielded by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) to contest the Pan American Youth Championships XXXIV in Orlando, Florida are holding their own among international counterparts.
Kyle Couchman has defeated a FIDE-rated 2200 player at the Pan Am Youth Championships
After five rounds of play, Sachin Pitamber is in 15th place with 3 points in the U14 Open, while Kyle Couchman is in 17th place with 2.5 points in the U16 Open.
In round one, Kyle Couchman defeated FM Nathan Yan, FIDE rated 2200, and in round four he defeated Jamaica’s Zuberi Edwards, rated 1642. In round five, Couchman earned a half-point after he drew with Trinidad’s Kael Samuel Bisnauth, whom he had defeated last year in the CAC Youth Chess Festival.
Aditi Joshi, competing in the Girls U14, is on 2.5 points after defeating Sara Vasquez and Tsahai Clarke, from Panama and Jamaica respectively. Joshi earned a half-point after drawing her game with Keytleen Troya of Panama.
Jeremy Cole, competing in the U12 Open, is on 1.5 points after he won against USA’s Polo Davila and earned a draw with Julian Rasch of the Cayman Islands.
Kataleya Sam is on two points, having earned a victory over Aruba’s Aaradhya Manchani in the U12 Girls category.
Kataleya Sam participating in the Pan Am Youth Championships
Saura Ruplall is on 1.5 points after a bye and a draw with Costa Rica’s Elena Mayorga in round five of the U10 girls’ category. Maliha Rajkumar, playing in the U16 Girls, and Vir Narine, competing in the U10 Open, are both on one point.
This tournament presents a valuable opportunity for the younger players to experience their first international competition. It allows them to test their skills against players from other countries, and learn from their opponents. The heavily contested tournament has mostly FIDE-rated players in each category. Three rounds remain for each category represented by the Guyanese juniors.
Participating in these international events allows the young chess players to put their training into practice and gain exposure to diverse playing styles.
Although many countries and languages are represented in the Pan Am Chess Championships, chess remains a universal language to which each player can relate, regardless of geographic background.
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.
